Declared as a national monument of France, the Sainte-Marie-des-Dames is a religious building in the Charente-Maritime department in France. This church was the first founding abbey for women in the Benedictine era and was established by Count of Ajnou Geoffrey II in the year 1047. The religious monument was founded on the money donated by Eleanor of Aquitaine, who was a relative of Agnès de Barbezieux. The queen of France, Madame de Montespan was educated in this church.