Museum of Port-Royal des Champs

As a school for such intellectuals asBlaise Pascal or Jean Racine, it was in the Abbey of Port-Royal des Champs that the rhetorical arts and debating were studied during the Enlightenment. Considered as a threat to the monarchy, this hotbed of Jansenism was destroyed in 1710 on the orders of the Sun King.

Today, the ruins of the 13th century abbey still stand in the middle of a huge 30-hectare forested estate. You can also discover the Port-Royal des Champs National Museum housed in the "Petites Ecoles"(small school) building. Devoted to Jansenist thought, it features an outstanding collection of paintings, prints and writings from the 17th and 18th centuries.

After admiring Philippe de Champaigne’s religious paintings and experiencing the superb historical atmosphere of the site, head off for a stroll near the lake or in the orchard laid out based on plans from the 18th century.

An amazing walk combining history and nature!