Noirlac Abbey

The Noirlac Abbey is a former Cistercian abbey in the municipality of Bruère-Allichamps near Saint-Amand-Montrond in the Cher department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France. It is located about 40 km south of Bourges on the right bank of the Cher River near a Roman road.
The abbey was founded in 1136 thanks to a donation by Ebbe V, the lord of Charenton, and was populated by a founding convent under Robert, likely the cousin of Bernard of Clairvaux. It was initially located in La Celle but was soon moved to its current site at the edge of the forest of Meillant. The re-establishment was confirmed by the Archbishop of Bourges, Pierre de la Châtre, in 1159. In the same year, the Cistercian abbey of Bussières was placed under the abbey's jurisdiction. In 1175, the community was decimated by an epidemic. In the second half of the 12th century, the abbey received significant donations. Since 1276, the name Noirlac replaced the earlier Maison-Dieu. In 1277, the General Chapter deposed the abbot. During the Hundred Years' War, the abbey was ravaged by the Grandes Compagnies, which led to its fortification. Lack of discipline resulted in a visitation in 1506 by the abbots of the monasteries of Reigny, Fontmorigny, and Chalivoy. In 1510, the abbey was placed under commendam. In 1562 or during conflicts in the mid-17th century, it was taken by the Huguenots, suffering significant damage. In 1654, only four monks lived in Noirlac. Restoration work was carried out in the 17th and 18th centuries. During the French Revolution, the abbey was seized as national property and subsequently sold. In its premises, a porcelain factory was established in 1822. Furnaces were installed in the church. Since 1862, the abbey has been classified as a monument historique. In 1890, an orphanage was established in the abbey, followed by a group of nuns, which was dissolved in 1901. After 1910, it was purchased by the Cher department, which initiated restoration work. During the Spanish Civil War, the abbey served as a refugee camp, and afterwards the residents of the old age home in Saint-Amand were accommodated there. Extensive restoration began in 1949.

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