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Origin and history

Corcelles Abbey is a former female Cistercian abbey founded around 1150 by nuns attached to Notre-Dame de Tart, the mother abbey of the order's feminine branch. Located in the Ognon Valley near Besançon, it was probably established at the request of a local lord. His existence was attested as early as 1179 by an act of donation, and his still modest possessions were confirmed in 1185 by a papal privilege.

The nuns, from the small local nobility, lived in relative poverty, working themselves for their subsistence according to the original Cistercian rule. The abbey experienced a decline from the late Middle Ages, marked by a relaxation of discipline and a difficult management of its assets. In 1609 it merged with the Abbey of Ounans in Dole, resulting in the partial disappearance of its buildings.

Architecturally, the abbey presented a simple and rustic plan, organized around a cloister. Today, only the south side remains, including the ancient chapel of the 13th-XIVth centuries, remodeled in the 15th-XVIth centuries. This chapel, without ornamentation, reflects the Cistercian austerity with its flat bedside and its non vaulted nave. The remains, sold as national property during the Revolution, were transformed into a farm before being restored in 1944.

The Abbey of Corcelles is a testimony of the expansion of the Cistercian order female in Burgundy-Franche-Comté. Its history illustrates the challenges faced by women's religious communities, often less endowed than their male counterparts. The current remains, classified as historical monuments in 1997, offer an overview of medieval monastic life in this region.

The name Corcelles comes from the Latin corticella, designating a small farm. This toponym, common in France, reflects the rural origin of the abbey, initially implanted in an isolated valley surrounded by forests. The merger with Ounans in 1609 marked the end of its autonomous existence, although its ruins continue to bear witness to its Cistercian past.

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