Fontevraud: Mysteries of the Abbey and the Village

The Royal Abbey of Fontevraud is magical in both senses of the word. Fontevraud: Mysteries of the Abbey and the Village evokes, to be sure, its amazing history, much of it well-documented but some of it little-known. It also recounts recondite and inexplicable, perhaps supernatural stories surrounding the abbey.
Bertrand Ménard has assembled a series of legends, miracles, secrets and “singular stories”, most of which you are unlikely to hear elsewhere. These range from unquestionably true, however improbable, stories to tales of the supernatural.
One undisputed story is that of François Bontemps, the son of a copper merchant. François became a monk, which was perhaps not such an unusual career choice in those days. What was unusual was that he progressed from monk to highly decorated general of the Empire.
The story of Sister Béatrice’s truancy is along the lines of the miraculous. Someone covered for Sister Béatrice while she was playing hooky from the convent – could it be...? They say it WAS.