Celles-sur-belle city

The name of Celles appears on a deed of gift passed about 1020. The Latin origin, Celles means small monastery.

The history of the city is closely related to that of its Abbey, famous since Louis XI made his favorite place of pilgrimage of it. City-stage on the ways of Saint-Jacques-of-Compostelle, Celles-sur-Belle incarnates a tradition of the reception and the opening.

A specificity which can only contribute to the blossoming of the ideas and the new activities. Chief town of a canton of 12 communes gathered in a cantonal community of more than 11.000 inhabitants, the city enjoys of a pleasant geographical location on Right Bank of Beautiful. With Verrines-sous-Celles and Montigné, communes associated with Celles-sur-Belle, the census of 2006 counted a total population of 3.676 inhabitants for an total surface area of more than 3.700 hectares.

The Royal abbey and its Notre-Dame church, old abbey of XII century were partly destroyed at the time of the wars of religion in 1568.

Rebuilt during second half of the XVII century, by the architect François the Duke says Toscane, the two buildings form a major architectural unit.

You will be able to stroll in the parks and to discover there the garden with the French, the garden of priest, the mill and our garden with topic. In 2009, this last is entitled " insects and companies… ".
You will learn there much on the insects and the small animals from our gardens and discover from constructions simple to realize to observe the life of these insects, essential to nature.

You alos benefit from your presence on the site, and visit the the space motor bikes "

Unquestionable Pierre where you will discover motor cycles of the exceptions which oldest have more one century.

Important building in the landscape cellois, point of the target of of all the road axes leading to Celles-sur-Belle, the abbey church is characterized by its bell-tower porch which culminates to 47 Mr. Its gate multifoil (XII) and its monumental staircase give access on a nave bordered of two lines of pillars of an exceptional elegance supporting of the vaults which culminate to 17,50 Mr.

The conventual buildings built by the same architect are a rare architectural richness.

The Royal Abbay is also an arts centre under development constant. It accomodates today a residence of the artist and of many artistic exposures d' amateurs and of professionals.

Festivals of great importances among which " Lights of Baroque" with the Mensa Sonora orchestrates, under the direction of Jean Maillet, but also the International academy of Music which makes it possible great formations to occur under the artistic director of Fabrice Grégorutti, without forgetting the reception of master classes of international notoriety and the Academy Junior of Ellipsos Musics.

This place is a space entirely dedicated to the culture since, throughout the year, of the vocal ensembles, the musical orchestras " jazz" and a multitude of the various and varied animations proceed in the Abbey.

The culture, this is also a public library stocked very well of books (in property or loan of the departmental library), reviews, CD, video cassettes and DVD which can be lent according to a payment. The library accomodates animations and exposures to topic in direction of the schools and any public.

The Rural household of Glass casing-under-That proposes many workshops of the workshop of poetry, local history, theater, embroidery, painting, weaving, photographs…

If you like the music:  Lark,  Music school in Country Mellois, Horns of the Abbey, Big Band Cellois, the choral societies " Through Chants" and " Friends of Belle" you will accomodate.

The association "Friends of the Abbay" contribute to the development and the animation of the abbey and of the historic sites by the organization in concerts and by its participation in various demonstrations.