Hauts Lieux›All places›Côte-d'Or
Cistercian abbeyCôte-d'Or
Abbaye de Fontenay
Marmagne
Dimensions
5.77 ha of preserved buildings
Period
Founded in 1118 by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
What stands there
the oldest surviving Cistercian abbey in Europe
Founded by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux himself, this Cistercian abbey is the oldest and most complete in Europe: the abbey church, cloister, dormitory, warming room (caldarium) and forge have come through the last eight centuries almost untouched. Its architectural austerity, typical of the Cistercian aesthetic that rejected all superfluous ornament, makes it a stark counterpoint to the richly carved Burgundian Romanesque capitals of Vézelay. Listed by UNESCO in 1981.
Getting there : Paid entry
Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.
Ambient sound
Nearby
- MuséoParc Alésia, le champ de bataille de 52 av. J.-C.Ancient monument · Alise-Sainte-Reine · 13 km
- Fontaine et chapelle Sainte-ReineSacred spring / fountain · Alise-Sainte-Reine · 13 km
- Maison natale de Catherine LabouréChapel · Fain-lès-Moutiers · 15 km
- Abbaye de Molesme, d'où partit RobertMonastery / hospice · Molesme · 33 km
- Abbaye Notre-Dame de QuincyCistercian abbey · Tanlay · 33 km
- La Pierre-qui-VireSacred hill · Saint-Léger-Vauban · 40 km
This place in the great stories
- The daughters of Cîteaux: how five abbeys covered EuropeMolesme c. 1075 and Cîteaux in 1098; the first four daughters between 1113 and 1115…
In the same department
All places — Côte-d'Or (22).