Loc-Dieu Abbey is a Cistercian abbey located near Martiel, 9 km west from Villefranche-de-Rouergue, in the department of Aveyron in France.
Founded in 1123 as Locus Dei ("place of God" in Latin) by the monks, in French it became Loc-Dieu. After nearly 300 years, it was burnt down by the English in 1409, and then rebuilt and fortified in 1470.
The abbey was suppressed and its assets sold off as national property by the French government during the French Revolution in 1793. The Cibiel family bought it in 1812, and Cibiel descendants still live in it today, undertaking restorations in 1840 (the east wing) and in 1880 (the south and west wings).
This is one of the first Gothic buildings in southern France, designed by architects from Burgundy. Cistercian rules were followed in the architecture of the church, i.e. the greatest simplicity possible, with no decorations other than the stone and light. However, as the cloister and chapter room were rebuilt in 1470, they were done in full Gothic style, which replaced the previous Romanesque cloister. (Reminding us how buildings change and adapt over time.)
In the summer of 1940, paintings from the Louvre, including the Mona Lisa, were hidden in Loc-Dieu to keep them safe from German troops.
The abbey and its large park are now open to visitors, and it is well worth a visit. A short walk from the principal building is a tall stone tower with a great view of the sunflower fields beyond.
