Construction of barn 1222-1235 (≈ 1229)
Estimated period of creation by Clairvaux
fin XIIIe siècle
From Clairvaux
From Clairvaux fin XIIIe siècle (≈ 1395)
One of the 30 barns in the Abbey
12 novembre 2001
Registration historical monument
Registration historical monument 12 novembre 2001 (≈ 2001)
Protection of buildings and sources
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Buildings built on a square plane, the former barn-fold and the schoolhouse housing a source (Box ZB 3, 16): inscription by order of 12 November 2001
Key figures
Abbaye de Clairvaux - Historical owner
Owned thirty barns including Sermise
Origin and history
The barn of Sermise is a 13th century building located in Champignol-lez-Mondeville, in the Aube department, in the Grand Est region. It is one of the thirty barns owned by Clairvaux Abbey at the end of the 13th century. This monument, created between 1222 and 1235, is distinguished by its organization in two groups: a first built on a square plane and a second composed of a barn and outbuildings. Its hydraulic system, powered by a 375-metre source, supplied a tank via an underground pipe, illustrating medieval resource management ingenuity.
The buildings, whose housing body occupies the southwest wing, have two levels: the ground floor was used for housing or operation, while the floor was dedicated to crop storage. Despite some modifications in the 19th century, this barn was the only one in Clairvaux to have retained so many original elements, such as the two-level wings and the edicle housing the spring. It was listed as a historical monument by order of 12 November 2001, protecting the square buildings, the former sheepfold and the source.
This monument reflects the economic and agricultural role of Cistercian abbeys in the Middle Ages. Barns, like the one in Sermise, were production and storage centres essential to the functioning of monastic communities. Their establishment reflected a rational organization of the territory, combining resource exploitation and self-sufficiency. The exceptional conservation of this site offers a rare overview of the constructive and hydraulic techniques of the time, while highlighting the influence of Clairvaux in the Champagne region.
