Solesmes, Sarthe, France
Abbey of Saint-Pierre de Solesmes
A Benedictine abbey in northwestern France that revived Gregorian chant in the nineteenth century and remains the world's leading center for the study and practice of plainchant.
Solesmes stands on the banks of the Sarthe River in the Loire region, a collection of stone buildings dominated by the abbey church's tall Gothic walls. The monastery was founded in 1010, suppressed during the French Revolution, and refounded in 1833 by Dom Prosper Gueranger, who made it his mission to restore Gregorian chant to its proper place in Catholic worship. The monks succeeded. The recordings and scholarship from Solesmes shaped how the entire Church sings plainchant today. The abbey church has remarkable medieval sculptures known as the Saints of Solesmes — stone figures from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries depicting the Entombment of Christ and the life of the Virgin. The monks continue to chant the full Divine Office daily, and visitors can attend.
Diocese: Diocese of Le Mans
Style: Gothic
What to See
The medieval sculptures in the transepts are extraordinary — the Entombment group on the north side and the Virgin group on the south. They are among the finest late-medieval sculptures in France. But the real experience is hearing the monks chant. Plan your visit around the Office schedule.
Pilgrim Notes
The abbey is near Sable-sur-Sarthe, reachable by train from Le Mans or Paris. The guest house accepts men for retreats. Women can stay at the nearby Benedictine convent of Sainte-Cecile. Vespers is the most accessible Office for visitors.