This is a noteworthy abbey at the very least because it was a monastery for men and women. The women in fact held the highest in rank, abbess. It was often reserved for high nobility or even people with Royal connections. And this brought wealth and power, until the abbey was abolished in the French Revolution. It was then converted to a prison and lots of outhouses were built. Only towards the end of the last century was it restored as much as possible and returned to its original condition.