Located in the commune of Saint-Germain-la-Blanche-Herbe, near Caen, Ardenne is the third largest abbey in the Caen agglomeration with the men’s abbey and the ladies' abbey. The topography of the Abbey of Ardennes and the architecture of its buildings are characteristic of these 'abbeys with fields' numerous in the order of Prémontré, dating from the 12th century. The regular domain, place of spiritual life organized around the abbey and the cloister (now disappeared), is at the heart of a vast enclosure surrounded by a wall of almost two kilometers. Epicenter of the abbey, this set opens towards the west on a large courtyard dedicated to labor. The regular buildings were rebuilt one after the other according to the vicissitudes of history or the initiatives of the abbots at the head of the abbey during the periods of prosperity. The buildings of the farm have retained the general appearance they had in the Middle Ages. Little remains of the other buildings scattered on the site over t
Free visit of the IMEC
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Date
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Institut Mémoires de l'édition contemporaine
Rue Youf du Marché, 14280 Saint-Germain-la-Blanche-Herbe, France, Calvados, Normandie, France
Free visit of the third abbey of Caen!
In 2004, IMEC opened its new research library to the public, in the superb abbey church of the Ardenne Abbey (13th century), a stone’s throw from Caen. Visit freely this emblematic site of the Norman heritage, where eras and architectures coexist, and discover the collections and trades of the Institute.
Exhibition, gardens, café... free access from 1:30 pm to 6:30 pm.
Institut Mémoires de l'édition contemporaine
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Localisation
Rue Youf du Marché, 14280 Saint-Germain-la-Blanche-Herbe, France, Calvados, Normandie, France
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À propos
Autres événements dans ce lieu
Guided tour: history of the abbey of Ardennes from the 12th century to today
The third abbey of Caen, historic site of the Battle of Normandy now restored, houses the Institute Mémoires de l'édition contemporaine (Imec). Discover 900 years of a rich and tumultuous history, its emblematic architecture and its heavy memorial past, until the arrival of Imec in the early 2000s.
Guided tour of the exhibition: fragments of the dream
Dream Fragments,An exhibition by Claire Paulhan, a book by Olivier Scheffer.The secret of dreams is in the archives.Hold the night... The archives are the world’s largest conservatory of dreams, an inexhaustible deposit of stories hastily scribbled in the early morning, testimony to this strange need not to lose anything from our dreams.In partnership with the Musée national d'art moderne - Centre Pompidou.
Guided tour of the archives and research library
Discover the backstage of the Abbey of Ardenne and the trades of the Institute Memories of contemporary publishing, living memory of the book and creation. Guided tour by the archivists of IMEC. Departure every hour from 2pm.
Conference: meeting with Marin Schaffner "natural heritage"
A meeting for the general public on the notion of natural heritage and matrimony, in the company of Marin Schaffner, an ethonologist by training, author, translator, and co-director of Éditions Wildproject, hosted in residence at Imec in autumn 2025.
Look up! Historical visit of the IMEC followed by a guided tour of the exhibition
DISCOVER THE ABBEY OVER THE CENTURIES AND THE "FRAGMENTS DU RÊVE" EXHIBITIONOrganised by the CAUE du CalvadosFollowing in the footsteps of a guide from IMEC, Institut des Mémoires de l'édition Contemporaine, this visit traces 900 years of history and is followed by a guided tour of the current exhibition «Fragments du rêve».Historical tourThe history of the abbey of Ardennes begins in 1121, in the Middle Ages, during the time of feudal lords and the rise of Caen. Through the centuries, these walls will house a religious community of the Premonstratensian order, then an agricultural property, before becoming a place of resistance during the Second World War. The IMEC found a suitable space for the conservation of its archives in 2004.Push the door of this place and listen to the story of the canons, farmers, resistance fighters, soldiers... of all those who, over time, have written its history.Visit of the exhibitionThen, tour the exhibition entitled Fragments du rêve en compagnie d’un médiateur.trice. A Claire Paulhan exhibition. Retiens la nuit... The archives are the world’s largest conservatory of dreams, an inexhaustible deposit of stories hastily scribbled in the early morning, testimony to this strange need not to lose anything from our dreams.Book
Look up! The 5 senses at the abbey
Sensory journey through the flavors and practices of the abbey throughout history, combined with a survey workshop with Marin Schaffner
Organised by the CAUE du CalvadosA sensory journey through the flavors and practices of the Abbey, combined with a survey workshop that links landscape, language and living.Sensory visit with Pierre, the historical mediator of IMECThrough the smells of the garden plants, architectural ornaments and a selection of medieval fabrics, discover the abbey through the senses. This visit is an invitation to take ownership of the history of the place. Children become actors and reconstitute the sensitive universes specific to each era, through food, clothing, games or spices. A machine to cross the ages through the experience of the body.Survey with Pierre and author Marin SchaffnerIn the company of an author, IMEC proposes to explore the abbey of Ardenne and its surroundings. Successively place of worship, space of agricultural production, place of resistance and war, then research and intellectual emulation, the abbey poses the question of different ways of inhabiting a place. With the sensations and the observation for any luggage, this workshop is a literary deambulation, a time where the practice of writing stems from that of walking, where reveries come to rub themselves with the vestiges of history. The issues of living, heritage, marriage – including ecological will be discussed.Book
