The Abbaye de Fontmorigny hosts weddings, gala dinners, cocktails, general assemblies, conferences, exhibitions, concerts, fashion shows and film shoots for 50 to 500 guests, with outdoor spaces that take up to 800. Its five event spaces range from a 100 square meter timber-roofed hall to a 480 square meter abbey church. The abbey stands on the route de l'Abbaye at Menetou-Couture, in the Cher, about 230 km south of Paris and close to Nevers, La Charité-sur-Loire, Sancerre and Bourges.
Seminars and company events
For company events, the Hôtellerie suits a general assembly, a lunch or a conference: it seats 85 and takes 100 standing, with an adjoining terrace that seats 150 for an outdoor lunch in summer. Larger formats such as a gala dinner use the vaulted Réfectoire des Convers, heated, for 250 seated or 400 standing. Options include an extra day of hire and a projector. Pricing for company events is quoted by the abbey according to services and numbers. Revenue from events funds the restoration of the site.
Weddings and receptions
For a wedding, the whole site is privatized. The abbey church can host a ceremony, the Cour des Convers or the Jardin de l'Abbé the drinks reception, and the Réfectoire des Convers the dinner. No caterer, decorator or sound provider is imposed, and the abbey shares a list of local suppliers. A full wedding file is sent by email on request.
Rooms and capacities
The abbey church covers 480 square meters and takes 450 seated or 700 standing; it is not heated and suits ceremonies, concerts and summer dinners. The Réfectoire des Convers, with notable vaults, covers 290 square meters, is heated and seats 250 or holds 400 standing. The Cour des Convers, between the refectory and the west side of the cloister, covers 1,000 square meters and seats 600 or holds 800 standing. The Jardin de l'Abbé, above the church and cloister, covers 2,500 square meters and takes 800 for cocktails and garden parties. The Hôtellerie, 100 square meters under an exposed timber roof and not heated, seats 85 or holds 100 standing, and its terrace seats 150.
Accommodation
Two guest rooms next to the Hôtellerie, decorated in an 18th-century spirit, each have a double bed and a private bathroom, and a cot can be added. A gîte 30 meters away sleeps up to six. The abbey provides contacts for other accommodation nearby.
Catering
A professional kitchen in the former bakery, with its own delivery access, serves the caterers working in the refectory. The client chooses its caterer.
History and setting
Fontmorigny began as a Benedictine abbey of the diocese of Bourges and joined the Cistercian order in the 12th century as a daughter house of Clairvaux. The monks worked iron ore as well as farmland, and iron from Fontmorigny went into Bourges Cathedral. Sold as national property at the Revolution, the buildings housed ironworkers and later fell into ruin. The abbey was listed as a historic monument and bought in ruins by its current owners, who restore it every year. It hosts a music festival, exhibitions and around 8,000 to 10,000 visitors a year.
Getting there
The nearest stations are Nevers and La Charité-sur-Loire, both 25 minutes by car. The abbey is also on the Loire à Vélo cycle route. It opens to visitors from May to August.
