Staircases in Abbaye des Prémontrés in Pont-à-Mousson

12 Mars 2015 , Rédigé par Maryse Publié dans #Meurthe-et-Moselle

The two days of regional culinary and history heritage organized in the Abbaye des Prémontrés were the opportunity for me to discover more of the buildings. The first time I went there I only saw the abbey church, called Sainte-Marie-Majeure, and a long corridor which allowed me to look through windows. This time I was able to enjoy the exhibition and the place at the same time.

I particularly noticed the different staircases. The first one I discovered was the oval staircase. I didn't walk up (it was possible) but took pictures from the ground floor.

Then I saw the round staircase. It is the only one which was not destroyed in 1944. Some people feel it is like a bottomless pit when they look from the top of the stairs. As far as the shape is concerned, I found it was the most impressing, maybe because it is also the narrowest one of the three.

In spite of the numerous visitors, only a few walked upstairs to discover the architecture of the whole stairwell.

The last staircase I want to show you is the square one. I went three times near it in the same afternoon, once when visiting the exhibition, once to make my husband discover it, and one more time with members of my family which we met there.

The square staircase has got an asset : the big chandelier made with more than 1400 pieces of Saint-Louis crystal. It weighs 650 kilogrammes. It is really beautiful. My cousin told me that, from just under it, it looks like a giant snowflake.

Abbaye des Prémontrés is a big and beautiful place to visit. These staircases are something not to miss and really help to remember the place.