Saint-Père in Melun — an abbey read through its cloister
An early engraving shows the abbey as a group of buildings, courts and gardens. The surviving cloister gallery offers a starting point for understanding that larger arrangement.
From the source
The former Benedictine abbey of Saint-Père in Melun occupied the site of today’s departmental offices. A seventeenth-century cloister gallery survives. The French heritage register identifies the protected façades, arcades and roofs around the cloister.
Editorial reading
The regional inventory identifies the south side of the cloister and the site of the abbot’s lodging among the surviving traces. Comparing the inventory with the historic engraving helps place the arcades in a complex that later became a centre of departmental administration.
Recommendation
Use Melun’s heritage page and the regional inventory to orient yourself before walking along rue des Saints-Pères. Check with the department before seeking access to the cloister or gardens.
Sources
Connected Landscapes, Terroirs & Living Heritage
Explore the historic gardens, remarkable villages, wine terroirs, and cultural itineraries intimately connected with this heritage landscape.
Château de Vaux-le-Pénil
Château de Vaux-le-Pénil is a château at Vaux-le-Pénil, Seine-et-Marne, in the Île-de-France region of France. The recorded building campaigns date from the 18th and 19th centuries. It is protected as a monument historique at the second level (inscrit). Details are drawn from the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture.
Château de La Rochette
Château de La Rochette is a château at La Rochette, Seine-et-Marne, in the Île-de-France region of France. The recorded building campaign dates from the 18th century. It is protected as a monument historique at the second level (inscrit). Details are drawn from the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture.
Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte (également sur commune de Moisenay)
Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte (également sur commune de Moisenay) is a château at Maincy, Seine-et-Marne, in the Île-de-France region of France. The recorded building campaigns date from the 17th and 19th centuries. Its architecture is recorded as classical architecture. It is protected as a monument historique at the higher of the two levels (classé). Details are drawn from the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture.