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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Abbey of Fontenay, founded in 1118 by Saint Bernard de Clairvaux, is one of the oldest preserved Cistercian abbeys. It is located in Marmagne, in the Côte-d'Or department, in Burgundy-Franche-Comté. Its name comes from the many sources on the site. The abbey has been classified as historical monuments since 1862 and registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981.

The abbey was founded by Saint Bernard de Clairvaux and consecrated in 1147 by Pope Eugene III, in the presence of many religious dignitaries. The first abbot, Geoffroy de La Roche-Vanneau, is a close friend of Saint Bernard. The abbey prospered in the 12th and 13th centuries thanks to metallurgical and steelmaking activities, and became a royal abbey in 1269.

Over the centuries, the abbey suffered looting and a gradual decline, notably with the establishment of the regime of the beginning in the sixteenth century. In the 18th century, the monks, for lack of means, destroyed the refectory. The abbey was sold as a national property in 1791 and turned into a stationery. It was bought in 1906 by Édouard Aynard, who undertook major restoration work to restore his medieval appearance.

Fontenay Abbey is an emblematic example of Cistercian architecture, marked by its sobriety and its counting. It includes an abbey church, a cloister, a capitular room, a dormitory, a forge, and other monastic buildings. The church, built between 1127 and 1150, is considered a typical church of Cistercian architecture.

In 1981, the Abbey was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognizing its exceptional historical and architectural value. Today, it is open to the public and remains in the hands of the Aynard family, which has owned it since 1906.

Future

It has been classified as a historical monument since 1862 and registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981.

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