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Origin and history

The Abbey of the Court-Notre-Dame, originally located in Villuis (Seine-et-Marne), was founded before 1191 as a Cistercian establishment dedicated to the care of lepers. In 1225, the archbishop of Sens Gauthier Cornu authorized his installation at Villuis under the name Cour-Notre-Dame, before his definitive transfer to Michery in 1227, on the edge of the Oreuse. The abbey, also called Notre-Dame-lès-Gouvernay, maintained a link with the leproserie of Villuis, used as a hotel for children.

Devastated during the Hundred Years' War in the 15th century, the abbey was reduced to priory status in 1463. In 1496 the nuns were replaced by Cistercian monks. The chapel, the only notable vestige, was classified as a historical monument in 1963. It features a 13th century rosette, a 15th century vault and a 1532 sculpted portal, reflecting architectural transformations between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

The abbey estates covered several neighbouring villages, including Bazoches-sur-le-Betz, Compigny and Serbonnes. Nearby, the Priory of Notre-Dame de Sixte, dependent on the Abbey of Pothières, was united at the Grand Séminaire de Sens in 1742. Today, Michery's abbey buildings are converted into a farm, remaining only the church choir, transformed into a chapel.

The archives and historical studies, such as those of Marlène Hélias-Baron or William C. Jordan, underline the marginal role of this abbey in the Cistercian order, marked by financial difficulties and changes of vocation. Its history reflects the religious and social upheavals of medieval Burgundy, between spirituality, assistance to the sick and institutional adaptations.

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