Abbaye-aux-Bois

The Abbaye-aux-Bois occupied the block around sixteen rue de Sèvres, long ago defined by its high walls and the quiet routines of Cistercian nuns. Originally founded in twelve oh two near Noyon, the convent relocated to this Parisian site in sixteen fifty-four under the protection of Anne of Austria. For over a century, it functioned as a cloistered retreat where aristocratic families sent their daughters for schooling, eventually becoming one of the most exclusive addresses in the city.