Abbaye de Fontenay
In the north of Burgundy, this Cistercian abbey is the only abbey to have remained intact since its creation in the 12th century. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, its architecture is accompanied by a landscaped park. Remarkable Garden.
The Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay founded by Saint Bernard de Clairvaux
Situated at Marmagne in the north of Burgundy, at the confluence of the Combe Saint-Bernard and the Vallée du Ruisseau de Fontenay, the Abbaye de Fontenay was founded in 1118 by Saint Bernard de Clairvaux, one of the greatest French saints. It is the oldest, preserved Cistercian abbey and is characterised by the austerity of its decoration.
The history of the Cistercian order began in 1098 with the founding of the Abbaye de Cîteaux (near Beaune, Côte-d’Or). Saint Bernard arrived there in around 1113. He was against the wealth of the Order of Cluny and wanted to revert to the original Rule of Saint Benedict : Ora et Labora (prayer and work), he then became Abbot of Clairvaux Abbey in Aube region.
The Abbaye de Fontenay was founded by his disciples and is the second daughter-abbey of Clairvaux. Extended over time, Fontenay prospered during the 12th and 13th centuries and in its heyday more than 300 people lived there !
The centuries which followed were more difficult for the Abbey which was pillaged by the English in the mid-14th century, then again in the mid-15th century before being ransacked around 1557 during the Wars of Religion. Although restoration work had been carried out in the 14th century, the abbey started to decline in the 16th century.
The Abbaye de Fontenay after the French Revolution
After the French Revolution, the abbey was secularised, sold as a national property in 1791 and converted into a paper factory by Claude Hugot. Around 1820 the abbey was bought by the Montgolfier brothers who began the construction of several industrial buildings. Although it became a listed historic building in 1862, restoration did not start until 1906 when it was bought by Edouard Aynard who took until 1911 to restore its medieval appearance and demolish the modern factory buildings. The Aynard family still own the abbey today.
Following restoration work in 1960 and 1990, it is now possible to admire all of the Romanesque-style buildings - the abbey church, monks’ dormitory, cloister, chapter house, monks’ hall and forge. The pointed arch roof of the nave and the flattened apse of the choir are specific to Cistercian churches. The thousands of visitors who stop off at the abbey every year are struck by the authenticity and spirituality emanating from the monastery. The abbey is enhanced by landscaped grounds which were classed as a « Jardin Remarquable » in 2004 by the Conseil National des Parcs et Jardins. Gardening enthusiasts can wander freely around the two hectares of grounds and admire the newly landscaped gardens planted with numerous varieties of plants and shrubs.
In summer, the abbey is a venue for concerts and plays. In 1990, Jean-Paul Rappeneau filmed scenes for ""Cyrano de Bergerac"" there. The same year, Philippe Monnier filmed ""L'Enfant des Loups"", based on the novel by Régine Desforges. The abbey became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 (it was one of the first places in France to do so), and is distinguished by its exceptional beauty and that of its splendid natural surroundings.
Open to the public all year round, it welcomes more than 100,000 visitors every year. Discover another architectural gem of Côte d’Or just 20 mintes away, the Château de Bussy-Rabutin
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