The Abbey of Fontenay is a beautiful example of Cistercian architecture – from the name of one of the largest monastic orders of the Middle Ages, the order of Cistercians, created at the beginning of the 12th century.

Most of the buildings and rooms of the Abbey are remarkably well-preserved: its church which is considered to be a typical church of Cistercian architecture, cloister, chapter house, monks' hall, fireplace room, infirmary, forge, abbot's residence, dovecote, inn, bakery, porter's lodge and the medicinal plant garden. With its uncluttered architecture, the abbey magnificently illustrates the ideal of autarchy of the first communities of Cistercian monks.

From Cîteaux to Fontenay

In Burgundy in the 12^th century, the Abbey of Cîteaux was the birthplace of the new order, with the arrival of the charismatic Bernard de Clairvaux (Saint Bernard) as its leader. The Cistercian order promoted asceticism and liturgical rigor, and stressed the importance of work. Its success developed very quickly throughout Christendom, and more and more Cistercian monasteries were founded.

A hostile but tamed natural environment

The history of Fontenay, in northern Burgundy, demonstrates this growth. In October 1118, Saint Bernard established a small monastic community here, under the responsibility of his uncle, on a plot of dense forest, in the heart of a small valley of woods and ponds.

Very quickly, the arrival of new monks led the order to build a large monastery. Major clearing and drainage works were required. In Fontenay as in other abbeys, the first Cistercians proved their capacity to deal with a hostile natural environment, to find water supplies and to shape the landscape in order to ensure their subsistence.

In Fontenay as in Cîteaux, Clairvaux, Bellevaux, and Clairefontaine, the Cistercian communities were established in the heart of nature, in undeveloped areas or deep valleys.

More than 120,000 visitors every year

Every year, more than 120,000 visitors come from all over the world to admire this exceptional site.

For further information

Burgundy Office of Tourism

The Abbey of Fontenay, on the web site of the Ministry of Culture

The Abbey of Fontenay, on the Unesco web site