Over 900 years of history.Founded in 1101 by Robert d’Arbrissel, the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud is first and foremost a place steeped in history: peopled by memories of Eleanor of Aquitaine, of Richard the Lionheart, Henry Plantagenet II, and the Bourbon Princesses. The Abbey is also haunted by its more recent past as a political prison. In 1975 the abbey became a Cultural Centre and meeting-place, with responsibility for managing the monument's heritage and culture.The Royal Abbey of Fontevraud is more than just a monument and museum, however. Despite being the proud possessor of the recumbent figures of three kings; it is also home to an original cultural project run by the Centre Culturel de l’Ouest (CCO). Exhibitions, debates and religious music all aim to bring the worlds of art and new information technology together, to link architecture with virtual reality and digital creation, pushing the boundaries of research in the field of heritage imaging. A centre for heritage-related creation and training, Fontevraud welcomes not just artists in residence but also many students.Nine centuries of Western history stand here in 14 hectares of parkland: Fontevraud is part of the Val de Loire Unesco World Heritage area.