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Bonport

The abbey of our Lady of Bonport was founded in 1189 by Richard the lion Heart, King of England, Duke of Normandy. According to legend, the King was in peril on the river Seine and made a vow that if he arrived safely (in French à Bonport) on the other bank of the river, he would found a monastery on that side. The abbey was built shortly afterwards with the help of local lords and was damaged and restored several times throughout history. Its closter and church were destroyed after Revolution. It is one of the few remaining cistercian abbeys in Normandy with monastic buildings of the Middle Ages including a magnificent 13th century vaulted refectory.