Abbey of Arthous Dive into the heart of medieval history in the Landes

A jewel of Romanesque art nestled in the south of the Landes, Arthous Abbey is a survivor of history. An architectural curiosity, it is currently revealed as a place inhabited over time: from the Premonstratensian canons who founded it in the 12th century, to the peasants and sharecroppers who transformed it into a farm after the Revolution, to the scholars and archaeologists who saved it from ruin in the 20th century, to the scientists and artists who reveal it today.

This historic monument is also the setting for several archaeological collections : they are essentially made up of prehistoric pieces from shelters in the neighboring commune of Sorde-l'Abbaye, various Gallo-Roman remains and sculpted stones from the 12th and 13th centuries found during the restoration campaigns of the heritage site between 1960 and 2010.

Conserving, documenting, experimenting, promoting, sharing, transmitting... these are the new vocations of the abbey which invites you to suspend time, look, listen and discover all these remarkable treasures of the past.

Open to the public from April to October.

Arthous Abbey is open:

• From April 1st to June 30th, from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
• From July 1st to September 30th, from 10am to 1pm and from 2pm to 6pm. Closed on Mondays.
• From September 1st to October 31st, from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
• Closed on May 1st

PRICES

• Full price: €5;
• Reduced rate: €3.50;
• Free entry for those under 25 and the first weekends of the month for everyone.

AGENDA 2025

• Permanent tour – “Once upon a time… Arthous”

Presented in the former cells of the canons, this exhibition tells the story of the successive lives of the heritage site from its foundation to the present day.

• Permanent tour – The “Treasure Room ”

Three remarkable horse sculptures, discovered by archaeologist Robert Arambourou in 1961 during excavations of the nearby prehistoric shelters of Sorde-l'Abbaye, have found their home at the abbey. Considered the jewels of the departmental collection, these masterpieces include the largest known Magdalenian sculpture in the round. The scenography of this space offers visitors an encounter between original works sculpted over 17,000 years ago and the contemporary perspective of photographer Claire Artemyz.

• Permanent exhibition – The “ Sculpture Room ”

This space highlights a collection of restored medieval sculptures from the abbey, including elements of the western portal of the abbey church and the two monumental fragments of the tympanum presenting an Adoration of the Magi.

• Permanent tour – The “Orthe Country Hall”

The Pays d'Orthe, the territory where the abbey was founded, can be discovered in the form of chronological, historical and fun modules, from prehistory to the present day.

• Permanent tour – Discover the abbey while having fun

Permit to touch: reproductions of the sculpted bestiary allow you to guess at your fingertips the Romanesque decor of the old abbey church.

Permit to handle: thanks to the modules installed in the “Model Room”, discover the architecture of the abbey.

Permit to play: families, and especially children, can be equipped for the visit with a bag containing game sheets, binoculars, coloring books, etc. An investigation to follow as a family is available online on the Wivisite application: “The mystery of Arthous or the quest for the forgotten secret”.

• Exhibition from June 25 to September 21, 2025 – “Abbeys seen from the sky” by Yann Arthus-Bertrand

In 2025, the site welcomes the photographs of the famous photographer and invites you to discover his architectural gems from France and the world as much as to explore them. From the cloister gallery to the choir of the old church, we are carried away by this aerial journey. While at human height, these emblematic sites such as monasteries, convents and other abbeys invite us to look up, what becomes of them "seen from the sky," lost in places that seem inaccessible or engulfed by urbanization?

• Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 April from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. – Open days at the abbey

Free and open visits.

Flash tours (30 minutes) at 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. to discover the entire heritage site in the company of an abbey guide.

• Thursday, April 24 from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Workshop “Colors in the Middle Ages”

During the Easter holidays, share a moment with your family: discover and apply colors like a medieval artist on reproductions of modillions from the apse of the abbey church.

From 6 years old, €3/person (child and adult), 12 people maximum, workshop led by an abbey mediator.

• Saturday, May 17 from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. – “Museum Night”

Demonstration of 3D modeling applied to the remains of the abbey.

Mathieu Beaud, PhD in Medieval Art History and specialist in the iconographic theme of the Adoration of the Magi, will be setting up with the DoMA project team and its equipment in the "Sculpture Room" to meet the public. At the heart of this special exchange: feedback on the techniques for digitizing the abbey's sculpted stones, the researchers' objectives and working methods, and the stages of the virtual reconstruction of the abbey church's ancient portal. Free.

• Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 June from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. – European Archaeology Days

Unique encounters with restorer and sculptor Valérie Tatin-Sauzet, in her workspace at the abbey: witness her restoration of the sculpted stones of the abbey church's former portal "live" and share a unique moment of discussion. Free.

• Saturday, July 5 at 8:30 p.m. – Closing concert of the CANT A CHOEUR International Choral Singing Festival

Organized by the men's choir of the Pays d'Orthe, Lous Gaouyous. Join all the choirs from this 17th festival in the abbey courtyard for a unique and moving experience. Admission: €15 / Free for children under 16.

Information and reservations from the association: 06.77.80.57.82 / 06.37.45.57.29

Or from the Kiwi Valley Tourist Office: 05.58.73.00.52

• Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 September from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. – European Heritage Days

Free and open visits.

Guided tours of the heritage site in the company of the abbey's mediators.

• Saturday, October 4 at 3 p.m. – Conference as part of Science Week

“Ecology and paleoecology of trout” presented by Ms. Joëlle Chat, molecular geneticist, Ms. Françoise Daverat, ecologist, and their doctoral student, Ambra d'Aurelio, from INRAE (Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle).

This conference sheds light on the PALEOFISH and CRUCIAL research programs, launched to better understand the genetic diversity of migratory fish (trout, salmon, and eels) from prehistory to the present day. The Landes Department has made more than 200 fish vertebrae from the collections of Arthous Abbey available to researchers. This archaeological find comes from the Duruthy rock shelter (Sorde-l'Abbaye) and represents traces of fishing activities by nomadic groups around 16,000 years ago. The conference will focus on trout. Free admission.

• Thursday, October 23 and Thursday, October 30 from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Workshop “Colors in the Middle Ages”

During the All Saints' Day holidays, share a moment with your family: discover and apply colors like a medieval artist on reproductions of modillions from the apse of the abbey church.

From 6 years old, €3/person (child and adult), 12 people maximum, workshop led by an abbey mediator.

Downloads:

• Download document: abbaye-d-arthous.pdf