Abbaye de Lérins (Alpes Martitime)

On Île Saint-Honorat, a magnificent listed and preserved site off the bay of Cannes, stands a monumental complex comprising an 11th-century fortified monastery, a 19th-century abbey and seven chapels located on the perimeter of the island. The Abbaye de Lérins has been home to generations of Monks. It is undergoing an extensive restoration to save the exceptional fortified tower-monastery, an emblematic site in the history of Christianity in the Mediterranean.

Classified as an Historic Monument on the very first list in 1840 by Mérimée, the fortified tower-monastery is emblematic of the site. The abbey consists of a homogeneous-looking complex of buildings ranging from the 11th to the 15th century, characterized by the combination of military architecture and various religious spaces built inside the fortifications. The Congregation of Cistercians of the Immaculate Conception owns the island and the Abbaye de Lérins and are currently overseeing   restoration of the site.

It is our duty to act now in order to transmit this remarkable heritage to future generations.

The tower-monastery of Saint-Honorat Island is a place open to the world, both due to its geographic location and being open to the public. This site, once restored, will be more widely open to  visits explaining the history of the island and the Cistercian monks and tours will be organized to explain the history of its construction. Its increased accessibility, in particular for people with reduced mobility, will give all visitors the opportunity to discover this unique heritage of the region, which encompasses all at once the built, maritime, religious, military, and natural heritage.

Fortified tower-monastery, an emblematic site in the history of Christianity in the Mediterranean.

$10,000

The Danny Kaye and Sylvia Fine Kaye Foundation

2023