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Origin and history

The Cistercian abbey of Trois-Fontaines was founded in 1118 in the diocese of Châlons-en-Champagne, at the initiative of Guillaume de Champeaux, bishop of Châlons. The latter obtained an estate in the Luiz forest to establish a monastic community, with the support of Hugues de Vitry and other donors. On October 10, 1118, Father Roger and monks sent by Saint Bernard from Clairvaux settled on the site, marking the birth of Clairvaux's first abbey-daughter. The successive donations enabled the monks to develop barns and various economic activities, such as the exploitation of forges, salt and mills.

In the 12th century, the monks of Trois-Fontaines founded several Cistercian abbeys in Europe, including Orval (Belgium), Hautefontaine, and Szentgotthárd (Hungary). The abbey experienced a first wooden church, quickly replaced by a stone church following the "Bernardin" plan of Clairvaux, with architectural influences similar to those of Fontenay. The excavations of 1963 revealed remains of this Romanesque church, characterized by transversal cradles and dogive crosses, partially modified in the eighteenth century.

The abbey traversed the centuries without major destruction until a fire in 1703, which ravaged part of the buildings. The reconstruction began in 1716 under Henri Thiard de Bissy's merchant abbatiate, with the construction of a new cloister, a dormitory, and a monumental gate completed in 1741. In the 18th century, the church was transformed into a parish church: the transept and the choir were abolished in 1785, and a new semicircular apse was added. Despite these changes, the abbey retained Romanesque and classical elements.

The French Revolution marked a turning point: the abbey was sold as a national property in 1794. Its original purchaser could not honor the payment, and the materials were partly dispersed. In 1805, an English engraving showed the stripped buildings, and in 1825, only three of the eight spans of the nave remained. A family of Saint Dizier then bought the site, stopping the destruction but leaving the church abandoned. In 1840, some of the buildings were converted into houses. Classified as a historic monument in 1944, the Abbey is now a private site, open to the public by an association.

The architecture of the abbey blends 12th-century Romanesque remains, such as the dowry crosses and vaulted bottoms, with classical 18th-century elements, including a monumental gate and a courtyard framed by pavilions. Although partially demolished, the church preserves resculpted arches and warheads, while the surrounding park, with a basin and allegorical statues, offers a romantic setting. The site also houses a bicycle museum, open on summer Sundays.

Trois-Fontaines played a major role in the dissemination of Cistercianism, founding nine abbeys in France and Central Europe. His notable abbots include Hugues de Châlons, who became cardinal in 1150, and Jacques de Pecorara, who was appointed cardinal in 1231. La commende, introduced in 1536 with Louis de Lorraine-Guise, marked a period of architectural transformations, notably under the abbatiats of Pierre Guérin de Tencin and François-Joachim de Bernis. The site remains a testimony of the spiritual and economic influence of Cistercians in Champagne.

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