Abbey of the Holy Trinity (Abbaye de la Sainte-Trinité)

According to legend, the Precious Blood relic arrived in Fécamp in a miraculous way: Nicodemus (or his nephew Isaac) collected drops of Christ's blood during the burial, placed them in lead ampoules, and hid them inside a fig tree trunk. To protect the relic, the tree was cut down and cast into the Mediterranean Sea, where it miraculously floated across the waters to wash ashore on the Normandy coast around 658 CE—a journey of over 3,000 kilometers guided by divine providence.

In June 2022, the abbey suffered a dramatic theft when the reliquary containing the Precious Blood and other treasures were stolen. After an international investigation, the relics were recovered in the Netherlands just one month later. The ceremonial return in September 2023 drew pilgrims from across France to witness the sacred objects returned to their 1,400-year-old home.

The abbey is the birthplace of Bénédictine liqueur, one of the world's most famous herbal spirits. The recipe was allegedly developed by Benedictine monk Dom Bernardo Vincelli in 1510 using 27 herbs and spices. Though the original monastery recipe was lost during the French Revolution, it was rediscovered in 1863 by wine merchant Alexandre Le Grand, who built the ornate Palais Bénédictine nearby—now a museum and distillery visitors can explore.