C.J. Adrien on Location

Above is C.J. Adrien standing in front of the Abbey of Saint Philbert on Grand Lieu Lake. The abbey was originally a satellite priory to the monastery of Saint Philbert on the island of Noirmoutier, but following the Viking raids which began in 799 A.D. the order of monks moved inland to avoid their aggressors. The relics from the original monastery were thought to have been lost during the Scandinavian raids, but were recovered in the mid 9th century and brought to the abbey seen here, and then dispersed amongst the multitude of churches and monasteries devoted to Saint Philbert thereafter. In recent history, the monastery had been abandoned for many years until the local municipality decided to renovate in the last twenty years. Archeological digs on the grounds have revealed many interesting artifacts. This small abbey is the site of the first chapter of C.J. Adrien’s novel, “The Line of His People”.