Fontevraud Abbey in the Pays de la Loire region of France was founded in 1101 by Robert D'Arbrissel. This area of France was then controlled by the English Crown. Eleanor of Aquitaine (l. c. 1122-1204) retired to the abbey in 1200, and she ensured that her late husband Henry II of England (r. 1154-1189) – founder of the Angevin-Plantagenet dynasty – and late son Richard I of England (r. 1189-1199) were interred in the abbey's church. Eleanor commissioned lifelike effigies to be carved of these two kings and one for herself, choosing to have a book in her hands to reflect her lifelong interest and support of the arts. The fourth tomb, also with a carved effigy, is that of Isabella of Angoulême (c. 1186-1246), Queen of England as the second wife of King John of England (r. 1199-1216).
The abbey was closed in 1792 during the French Revolution and even operated as one of France's most notorious prisons until 1963. Today, the abbey serves as a cultural centre, but its star attraction remains the four royal tombs showcased in this gallery.
