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The architectonic complex of Abbey of Beauport in Côtes-d'Armor, Brittany / Bretagne was founded 1202 and kept up until it's decline in the 18th century. The abbey’s name, which means „Beautiful Harbour“, refers to it’s enviable position close to the seaside. Besides it’s religious destination, Beauport was also a well-prospering maritime trade center. Closed 1790 during the French Revolution, the edifice was left to decay. Finally, since 1992, the state foundation „Conservatoire du littoral“ has been taking care of the ruins. It is a very special experience to visit this place, where nature and culture seamlessly go into each other in a nearly perfect symbiosis. Pets are allowed in the entire area. The panorama shows the fireplace hall, which used to be the only room in the whole abbey which was heated in any way. Two giant fireplaces provided the heat for the room as well as for the hospital which was located directly above the hall.
France is affectionately referred to as "the Hexagon" for its overall shape.French history goes back to the Gauls, a Celtic tribe which inhabited the area circa 300BC until being conquered by Julius Caesar.The Franks were the first tribe to adopt Catholic Christianity after the Roman Empire collapsed. France became an independent location in the Treaty of Verdun in (843 AD), which divided up Charlemagne's Carolingian Empire into several portions.The French monarchy reached its zenith during the reign of Louis XIV, the Sun King, who stood for seventy-two years as the Monarch of all Monarchs. His palace of Versailles and its Hall of Mirrors are a splendid treasure-trove of Baroque art.The French Revolution ended the rule of the monarchy with the motto "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity!" On July 14th, 1789 angry mobs stormed La Bastille prison and began the Revolution in which Louis XVI, his wife Marie-Antoinette and thousands of others met the guillotine.One decade after the revolution, Napolean Bonaparte seized control of the Republic and named himself Emperor. His armies conquered most of Europe and his Napoleonic Code became a lasting legal foundation for concepts of personal status and property.During the period of colonization France controlled the largest empire in the world, second only to Britain.France is one of the founding members of the European Union and the United Nations, as well as one of the nuclear armed nations of the world.Text by Steve Smith.
