Ambronay Abbey

Ambronay Abbey (French: Abbaye Notre-Dame d'Ambronay; Abbey of Our Lady, Ambronay) is a Benedictine abbey, founded in the 11th century by Barnard de Romans, which stands in the commune of Ambronay in the Ain department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

A church was founded on the site by hermits in the 7th century, but this was destroyed by Saracens.

A monastery was built here in around 803 by Saint Bernard of Vienne, the first abbot.

Most of the abbey was destroyed during the French Revolution in 1793[1] but the church, although converted into stables, survived and is once again a place of worship.

The church is regarded as a sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin Mary.