The Royal Necropolis That Transformed From A Cistercian Monastery Into A Porcelain Factory

Countries & Cities · Published 29 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Perched on the shores of Lake Bourget, Hautecombe Abbey served as the final resting place for the House of Savoy for centuries. Yet, this sacred site has endured a turbulent history, including a period as a china factory after the French Revolution, before its elaborate 19th-century Gothic-Romantic reconstruction.

Founded around 1101 by hermits from Aulps Abbey, the community moved to the shores of Lake Bourget under Mont du Chat around 1125. Supported by Amadeus III, Count of Savoy, the site adopted the Cistercian Rule. Its influence grew rapidly, establishing daughter-houses as far as Italy and Constantinople by the 13th century. The abbey became a prestigious necropolis, housing the remains of figures like Count Humbert III and Boniface of Savoy, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The abbey's fortunes shifted dramatically during the French occupation of Savoy in 1792. Secularized and sold, the monastery was repurposed into a porcelain factory, a stark departure from its monastic origins. It was not until 1824 that King Charles Felix of Sardinia purchased the ruins. He commissioned architect Ernest Melano to rebuild the church in an exuberant Gothic-Romantic style, filling the 66-metre-long structure with hundreds of statues and frescoes. While many tombs today are modern reproductions of medieval monuments, the site remains a significant historical monument.

The monastic life within its walls has also been fluid. After the 1824 restoration, the abbey saw various orders pass through, including Cistercians and Benedictines. By 1992, the Benedictine monks departed for Ganagobie Abbey, citing the overwhelming flow of the 150,000 tourists who visit annually. Today, the premises are managed by the Chemin Neuf Community, a charismatic group that maintains the site's ecumenical vocation. The abbey stands as a complex intersection of royal legacy, architectural reinvention, and the evolving nature of religious life in France.

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