Saint-Gabriel-Brécy Priory

[2][3] That year forty people signed a charter founding the priory, including John himself, William, Duke of Normandy and his wife Matilda of Flanders.

Henry V of England confirmed the priory's temporal rights but towards the end of the Middle Ages the monks abandoned communal life and began living in separate lodges, although they still came together for worship and prayer.

The priory church was still used for mass on Sundays, celebrated by monks from the abbaye de Saint-Vigor in Bayeux.

At the French Revolution the priory was confiscated, sold and turned into a farm, whilst the town council bought the tower.

In March 1914 it was bought by monsieur Emmanuel Fauchier Delavigne and his wife and after major rebuilding works they used it to house the first ever private horticulture school in France from 1929 onwards, now the École du paysage et de l'horticulture.

A cultural association was set up in 2003 to revive the site and on 1 January 2008 the state passed ownership of the priory to the Calvados department.