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
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