Cîteaux Abbey (French: Abbaye de Cîteaux) is a Roman Catholic abbey located in Saint-Nicolas-lès-Cîteaux, south of Dijon, France. An abbey (from Latin abbatia derived from Syriac abba "father" is a Christian Monastery or Saint-Nicolas-lès-Cîteaux is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France. Dijon ( diʒɔ̃ is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or departement and of the Bourgogne region This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Today it belongs to the Trappists, or Cistercians of the Strict Observance (OCSO). Trappist redirects here This article is about the Cistercian order The Cistercian order takes its name from this mother house of Cîteaux, earlier Cisteaux, near Nuits-Saint-Georges. Nuits-Saint-Georges is a commune in the Arrondissement of Beaune of the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France. The abbey has about 35 members.
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History
- Main article: Cistercians.
The abbey of Cîteaux was founded in 1098 by Saint Robert of Molesme, who became the first abbot, under the rule of Saint Benedict. Saint Robert of Molesme (c 1028 &ndash 1111 was a Christian Saint and Abbot, one of the founders of the Cistercian Order in France The word abbot, meaning Father, is a title given to the head of a Monastery in various traditions including Christianity.
Saint Bernard, a monk of Cîteaux Abbey, left it to found Clairvaux Abbey in 1115, of which he was the first abbot. Bernard of Clairvaux, OCist ( 1090 - August 20, 1153) was a French abbot and the primary builder of the reforming Cistercian monastic order Clairvaux Abbey ( Clara Vallis in Latin a Cistercian Monastery, was founded in 1115 by St His influence in the Cistercian order and beyond is of prime importance, and he is probably the best known personality in the Cistercian order. He reaffirmed the importance of strict observance to the rules of Saint Benedict.
The great church of Cîteaux, begun near 1140, was completed in 1193. The Dukes of Burgundy would be buried there. Duke of Burgundy was a title borne by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, a small portion of traditional lands of Burgundians west of river Saône which
During the Albigensian Crusade of the 12th century a former abbot of Cîteaux is purported to have said, "Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius" (Kill them all. The Albigensian Crusade or Cathar Crusade (1209&ndash1229 was a 20-year military campaign initiated by the Roman Catholic Church to eliminate the Cathar God will know his own). However famous this quote is, current scholarship suggests that it is incorrectly ascribed to the abbot. The Albigensian Crusade or Cathar Crusade (1209&ndash1229 was a 20-year military campaign initiated by the Roman Catholic Church to eliminate the Cathar
The influence of the Cistercian order was growing, owing much to Saint Bernard, and at the beginning of the 13th century the order had more than 500 houses. Cîteaux was then an important center of Christianity. In 1244, King Louis IX of France (Saint Louis) and his mother Blanche of Castile visited the abbey. For other persons called Blanche of Castile see Blanca of Castile.
During the Hundred Years' War, the monastery was pillaged in 1360 (when the monks sought refuge in Dijon), 1365, 1434 and 1438. The Hundred Years' War (Guerre de Cent Ans was a prolonged conflict lasting from 1337 to 1453 between two royal houses for the French throne vacant with the extinction of the senior
In the beginning of the 16th century, the abbey was a strong community of about 200 members. The abbey was badly hit by the French Wars of Religion. The French Wars of Religion (1562 to 1598 between French Catholics and Protestants ( Huguenots involved both civil infighting
The abbey then slowly declined for the next century. In 1698, the abbey only had 72 professed monks.
In 1791, during the French Revolution, the abbey was seized and sold by the government. The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an
In 1898, the remains of the abbey were bought back and repopulated by monks of other abbeys.
Current activities
The monks, faithful to a tradition of manual work, sell their products to the public: the well reputed Cîteaux cheese, but also honey candies and caramels.
References
- Plouvier, M. and Saint-Denis, A. (eds. ), 1998: Pour une histoire monumentale de Cîteaux, 1098-1998 (Commentarii cistercienses. Studia et documenta, 8), Cîteaux.
External links
- Official site (in French)
- History of Cîteaux Abbey (in French)
Pictures
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