The Benedictine Abbey of Notre Dame du Pré
This very old abbey, Notre Dame du Pré-Lès-Lisieux, was founded around 1050 by Lady Lesceline, a relative of William the Conqueror.
Le Pensionnat de Jeunes filles de l’Abbaye, the Abbey’s boarding school for young girls, is the oldest scholarly establishment in Lisieux and it was created in the 16th century. This institution, as old as it was in Thérèse’s time, knew how to adapt to the times and give modern instruction. The young girls there received instruction that was of a wide and varied scope as well as formation in practical life, keeping an orderly household and finance.
At the end of the 19th century, the boarding school had around eighty students divided in five classes, each having two or three divisions. A student generally spent two years in the same class. The students wore a uniform. The only difference was the color of the belts which indicated the class.
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students arriving
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boarding school entrance
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interior door
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in back and
the courtyard
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courtyard
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classroom
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in catechism
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1st communions
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students from 1879-1880
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outing during recreation
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a scene from recreation
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a scene from recreation
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a little group
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some Benedictines
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Click on each photo to enlarge it.