Scénovision de Bénévent-l'Abbaye
An hour in the Creuse of 1945
An immersive hour-long walk-through show at Bénévent-l'Abbaye. You follow Marion, a Creuse countrywoman, in her village café in May 1945.
The concept is closer to a show than an exhibition: you walk through reconstructed sets, père Bouyer's café, a family sawmill, village streets, while a story unfolds. The current version opened in April 2025. Nearly two hundred thousand visitors since 2006.
That's not the only reason to come. The Abbatiale Saint-Barthélemy, a short walk away, was built in a single phase between 1120 and 1150, which accounts for its rare unity of style. A massive bell-tower porch, a richly carved multi-lobed portal, an octagonal dome over the crossing. Listed as a historic monument in 1862.
Its name comes from a relic of Saint Bartholomew brought back from Benevento, in Campania, in the 12th century. The town shares its name with the Italian city.
A stop on a Way of St James route. One star in the Michelin Green Guide.
Thirteen euros for the Scénovision, closed Mondays. The abbey church is free to enter.