A Former Benedictine Abbey with an 18th-Century Château and Abbey Church Is for Sale in France’s Loir Valley
Bedrooms: 19 Bathrooms: 11 Interior: 1,160 m² / 12,486 ft² Lot: 84.65 ha / 209 acres
Amenities: Abbey church, medieval chapter house, 2 gîtes, caretaker’s house, reception building, greenhouse, stream and parkland.
On the edge of a small village in France’s Loir Valley stands a former Benedictine abbey whose history is traced to the sixth century. King Childebert I and Queen Ultrogothe are said to have helped establish a monastery here around 540. The buildings standing today are much later, but the site retains its abbey church, medieval chapter house and one surviving wing of the former cloister.
That cloister wing became a private residence after the French Revolution and is now described as a château. Together with the church, outbuildings and approximately 209 acres (84.65 hectares) of land, it is listed for €1.8 million with Denniel Immobilier. The property is about 22 km from Vendôme and approximately 2½ hours from Paris by car.
From abbey to château
The abbey was destroyed during Viking incursions in the tenth century and subsequently rebuilt. Much of what remains from its medieval life dates to the 12th and 13th centuries, including the chapter house and elements of the church.
The site changed considerably after the French Revolution. The former abbey buildings were sold in 1791, and the church, which had been excluded from that first sale, followed in 1804. The Marquis de Querhoent adapted the property as a country residence. He removed parts of the ruined church and three sides of the cloister, retaining the wing that became the château and giving the church its Neoclassical façade.
The abbey house and church today
According to Denniel Immobilier, more than €3.3 million was invested in restoring the château during 2024 and 2025. The work included masonry, the timber framework and roof, windows and doors, interior finishes, and the electrical, plumbing and heating systems.
Inside, a vaulted entrance leads toward the chapter house, whose ribbed vaults rest on columns with carved capitals. Three reception rooms have panelling, parquet floors and 18th-century marble fireplaces. Upstairs are 7 bedrooms, each with its own bathroom.
Beside the residence stands the abbey church. Behind its early 19th-century façade are medieval vaults, carved capitals and a Renaissance walnut door. The church and chapter house were both entered on France’s Historic Monuments register in 1939.
The estate also includes two gîtes, a caretaker’s house, a reception building and a greenhouse. A stream crosses the approximately 72-acre (29-hectare) park adjoining the buildings. The listing gives a total interior area of 12,486 sq ft (1,160 m²) and says all 209 acres (84.65 hectares) are free of agricultural leases.
The property lies in a rural part of the Loir Valley near Montoire-sur-le-Loir, Lavardin and Trôo. This is the valley of the smaller Loir river, rather than the Loire River and its better-known château route. Vendôme’s TGV station connects the area to Paris, while the abbey itself is reached by road.
All photographs belong to the listing agency. See more on Denniel Immobilier.
