Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Cistercian barn of Fontaine-Robert, located in Neuvelle-lès-la-Charité in Haute-Saône, was historically dependent on Notre-Dame-de-la-Charité Abbey. Located in an isolated location 6 km north of the abbey, it illustrates the Cistercian spatial organization, with agricultural buildings designed for autonomy. The present building, rebuilt in the 18th century, replaces medieval structures mentioned in the 12th century but degraded after the Ten Years' War (1635-1648).

The ensemble consists of two long parallel buildings surrounding a central road. The West Building, for residential use, has three identical units (kitchen, stove, bedroom and attic) on two levels. The building, dedicated to agricultural activities, repeats four times a modular unit combining a central barn driveway flanked by two stables. An isolated oven, located to the west, completes the whole. This modularity, characteristic of Cistercian barns, is found in other outbuildings of the abbey such as the Mountain or the Pre-Chapelot.

Ranked a historic monument in 1998, the Fontaine-Robert barn has retained its original plan with few modifications since the 18th century. Subsequent transformations are limited to minor modifications (mechanical tiles, pig sodas) and interior adjustments. Its state of conservation makes it a rare testimony of Cistercian utilitarian architecture in Franche-Comté, reflecting both monastic rigour and adaptation to local agricultural needs.

The geographical location, near a pond and medieval ruins, suggests an integrated exploitation of resources (water, land, forests) typical of Cistercian barns. These establishments served as centres of production and redistribution for monks, while structuring the rural landscape. Registration for historic monuments includes housing, barns, stables and the oven, highlighting the heritage value of the architectural and functional complex.

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