Our Lady of the Snows

The Abbey of Notre-Dame-des-Neiges, known in English as Our Lady of the Snows, is a Cistercian monastery situated in the Ardèche département of south-central France. Originally established as a Trappist monastery in 1850, it has since been resettled by Cistercian nuns. The abbey's history is marked by periods of both establishment and adversity.

History and Significance

Founded on August 5, 1850, the feast day of Our Lady of the Snows, the monastery was built on land offered by descendants of the former owners of Les Chambons Abbey, which had been destroyed during the French Revolution. The initial offer to Aiguebelle Abbey was declined but accepted on a second occasion. The priory was elevated to the status of an abbey in 1874 with the election of its first abbot, Polycarpe Marthoud, at which time it housed approximately 90 members. The abbey gained a notable visitor in 1878 when Robert Louis Stevenson stayed there during a hiking trip, an experience he later documented.

In 1880, the French Third Republic planned to expel the monks, but a sudden snowfall prevented the action. This event, along with the ongoing threat of persecution, led the abbot to establish a foundation in Akbes, Syria, as a potential refuge. Charles de Foucauld entered the monastery as a novice in January 1890, taking the religious name "Marie-Albéric," and was later sent to the Syrian abbey. The monastery suffered a significant fire in 1912 and was subsequently rebuilt. In January 2022, the Vatican announced the closure of Notre-Dame des Neiges due to a lack of novices and the deaths of two brothers. However, the abbey was resettled in December 2022 by eight Cistercian nuns from St Mary's Abbey in Boulaur, whose number had grown to twelve by 2024. The community engages in revenue-generating activities such as selling spring water, essential oils, and cleaning products.