Flaran Abbey Theme Walks in Valence-sur-Baïse

THE CISTERCIAN ABBEY OF FLARAN (XII°-XVIII°S.), CROSSROADS OF HISTORY AND CULTURES

Daughter of Escaladieu (Hautes-Pyrénées), founded in 1151 in the valley of the Baïse, the Abbey of Flaran is one of the best preserved in southwestern France. The monastic buildings and the gardens located in the heart of a park, in a preserved natural environment on the banks of the Baïse, present a perfect illustration of a Cistercian ensemble from the 12th century reworked until the 18th century. Marked by historical vicissitudes, sold during the Revolution and in danger of being dismantled before the First World War, the site was bought by the Department of Gers in 1970, which carried out an intense restoration campaign there in the 1980s.

Since 2000, the abbey of Flaran, departmental heritage center, the heart of the Gers museum network, has housed the Departmental Heritage and Museum Conservation/Flaran, the Department of Museums and Heritage for the Department ; throughout the year, the latter develops numerous scientific and cultural activities through a rich and diversified program. Open all year round, welcoming the highest number of visitors in Gers as it is a public and paying site, with full accessibility to its spaces and justifying, from 2011 and 2018, the label "great site Armagnac, Abbey and cities ”of the Occitanie region, the abbey of Flaran has become an essential heritage and cultural reference in the departmental and regional landscape.

A RICH AND DIVERSIFIED ANNUAL PROGRAM

Betting on a will and a cultural expectation in a department marked by agriculture and rurality, Heritage Conservation, supported by the departmental community, has chosen to offer all its audiences events and exhibitions in resonance with this remarkable site, the collections of the museums of the network or the departmental heritage in the broad sense. At the heart of the cultural policy of the Departmental Council of Gers, the Abbey of Flaran has been the site, since 2000, of reference exhibitions which alternate the most diverse themes, from Antiquity to the contemporary era, and offers, all year round, retrospective exhibitions of artists or more fun events, Contemporary Art or Archeology, Comics or Photography, which follow one another in as many appointments with external audiences, in summer discovery, or local visitors, individuals, schools or families...

A REFERENCE COLLECTION

Since July 2004, the abbey of Flaran has also hosted an exceptional collection of original works by renowned artists, representative of European Art from the 16th to the 21st century, deposited, by agreement, by Mr. Michaël Simonow, owner . In order to accommodate it, the monks' dormitory (18th century) has undergone a major renovation, precautionary measures for the works exhibited and brought up to standard with regard to the public with reduced mobility or with disabilities. (ramps, elevator, etc…).

From now on, the works are the subject of a semi-permanent presentation in the dormitory cells, while the corridor and the vestibule (over 400m2), host the temporary exhibitions linked to the collection.

On a biannual basis, accompanied by an attractive catalog, they take an interest in the major trends in the History of the Arts: Portrait, landscapes, animals and chimeras, still lifes... etc...

Young or old, individually or with the family, this exceptional collection is intended for all those who wish to take a wonderful journey into the heart of the artistic movements of our European societies.

ORIGINAL SYSTEMS AND INCENTIVES FOR CULTURAL DISCOVERIES

To do this and with the support of the Departmental Assembly, Heritage Conservation implements annually and throughout the network around Flaran :

• Original and incentive pricing systems to welcome the widest audience: low entry cost (€5/adult) and school activities (€1.5/student) ; free on the first Sunday of each month from November to March (local public); free during national events; free for disabled visitors, supervisors, holders of the "cultural pass" or job seekers...

• A rich and diverse program of cultural and museographic activities (permanent and temporary exhibitions), in various themes ranging from Archeology to Contemporary Art...

• A program of fun educational activities and entertainment across the network...

• A referential mediation policy with regard to families, young people and schools and/or people with disabilities or with disabilities ...

• A publishing activity interesting the departmental heritage, the exhibitions or the artists hosted...