Gateway to the former Abbey of Saint-Ruf

On your left, marking the entrance to Saint-Ruf park, stands the 18th-century gate of a former abbey of the same name. It was a huge religious complex of great importance to the town. It replaced an earlier abbey that had been in Valence for several centuries, but was destroyed during the religious wars. These abbeys were highly esteemed in the region for the role they played in education and culture. It was made up of several buildings, including the Saint-James church, now the Protestant temple, which we’ll look at next, and an abbatial hotel, which was reused for a time to house the head office of the Drôme prefecture, before it was moved to its current location in 1960. It also housed a library, and a theological and philosophical center. The abbey complex was heavily bombed during World War II. Most of the site was lost, with the exception of the monumental gate, which can still be admired today in Sabaterie Street. A few stone relics were also found on site and are preserved in the Valence museum. The portal was listed as historic monument in 1999. It leads to Saint-Ruf park, a small garden with an exceptional view of the Ardèche mountains and the ruins of the Crussol Castle.