The Saint-Yved abbey is located at Braine, in the Aisne, 15 km south-east of Soissons.
It was built in the 12th century in a Gothic style (with some elements from the 13th and 15th centuries) to serve an abbey belonging to the Premonstratensian order.
Braine which was at the crossroads of several Roman roads during Antiquity was chosen as a pleasure residence by the first Merovingian and Carolingian kings and then belonged to the Counts of Dreux, representing the younger branch of the Capetian dynasty. Their castle was destroyed during the First World War.
As for the abbey, which housed the relics of Saint Yved, its convent buildings were destroyed during the Revolution.
The abbey church then became a parish. Although having lost four bays of its nave, the building classified as a Historic Monument since 1840 retains a remarkable tympanum of its central portal (replaced on the back of its facade). In addition, a lantern tower 30 m high rises at the level of the crossing of the transept.
However, it is for having been the necropolis of the Counts of Dreux that the abbey church has remained famous. But if a number of painted wooden statues, sculpted decorations, stained glass windows, a reliquary are still housed there, the relics as such of the saint have been transferred to Rouen. In addition, of the numerous tombs covered by enamelled copper slabs, only drawings remain which have joined the collections of the Oxford library. Finally, some of the sculptures from the old portal are visible at the Soissons museum.
However, the site remains an example of Gothic architecture. Restoration work took place in the 19th century and a new campaign is due to start shortly. Free or guided visit. Information on +33 3 23 54 40 00.
