Follow Saint Louis’s path to discover the secrets of the abbey and learn the lessons of history

The visit of Royaumont Abbey will take place on Monday 15th December 2014 at 2 pm. Several guides from the Abbey will accompany the conference participants.


Visit of Royaumont Abbey

Royaumont Abbey was initially a Cistercian abbey founded in 1228 by Louis IX (who became Saint Louis thereafter). Several members of the French Royal family were buried in the Abbey. The Abbey was dissolved in 1791 during the French Revolution and the building was bought at the auction by the marquis Jean-Joseph Bourguet de Guilhem de Travanet (a rich businessman and former banker of the Royal family). The new owner decide to transform part of the Abbey into a cotton factory; the church does destroyed –the stones being used to buil dthe factory – but the sacristy, cloister and refectory were saved). Nowadays the Abbey is open for visit to tourists and has become an renowned cultural center. To know more…

A few interesting facts: in the 13th century, Vincent de Beauvais, with the help of the monks, wrote the encyclopedia Speculum Majus, which summarized the knowledge of medieval times. The play writer found inspiration at the Abbey. In 1971, Pink Floyd was invited to give a concert. In 2014, ESSEC Business School organizes a conference on Extreme Events in Finance. Royaumont Abbey is located approximately 30 km north of Paris.