Longchamp Abbey

Longchamp Abbey was established in twelve fifty-five by Isabelle of France, who was the younger sister of King Louis the Ninth. Isabelle rejected a prestigious royal marriage to remain a virgin and dedicated her life to religious devotion. She chose the site, then part of the dense Forest of Rouvray, to build a sanctuary for the Poor Clares. Although she served as the abbey's patron and lived within its walls in a private room, she pointedly refused the title of abbess to maintain her independence and her ability to distribute her wealth to the poor.