Reigny Abbey
Encyclopedia
Reigny Abbey was a Cistercian monastery in Vermenton
, department of Yonne, Bourgogne
, France
.
. The first abbot was Stephen of Toucy, a monk of Clairvaux. In 1134 the monastery was moved to the present site on the right bank of the River Cure, a gift to the community from William II, Count of Auxerre and Nevers
. In 1147 it was granted papal protection by Pope Eugene II
.
The abbey continued to thrive and at its peak numbered up to 300 monks. The generosity of the local nobility provided it with sufficient estates to maintain this large population and engage in active trade with its surplus produce. In 1370 King Charles V of France
granted it royal protection, and in 1493 Charles VIII
made it a fondation royale.
It suffered severely however both during the Hundred Years' War
and in the French Wars of Religion
. In 1582 the Huguenots destroyed most of it by fire, including the church.
The monastic buildings were rebuilt during the 17th-18th centuries. The new church was completed in 1759-1765; the work is often attributed to Claude-Nicolas Ledoux but according to the French Ministry of Culture and Communication is by the less well-known royal architect Claude-Louis d'Aviler.
The abbey was dissolved in 1790 during the French Revolution
; the community at that point comprised eight monks. Many of the buildings, among them the new church, the cloisters, the chapter house
and the greater part of the conventual buildings, were destroyed. Many decorative items from the former abbey church are still to be found in churches nearby.
The precinct and surviving buildings, principally comprising the exceptional 14th century refectory
, the 17th century dovecote
and part of the south range of the conventual buildings restored in the 18th century, including the monks' parlour and dormitory, passed into private ownership. The site is now commercially run as a conference and event centre.
The abbey site was classed as a monument historique
in 1921.
Vermenton
Vermenton is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.The remains of the former Cistercian Reigny Abbey are situated here....
, department of Yonne, Bourgogne
Bourgogne
Burgundy is one of the 27 regions of France.The name comes from the Burgundians, an ancient Germanic people who settled in the area in early Middle-age. The region of Burgundy is both larger than the old Duchy of Burgundy and smaller than the area ruled by the Dukes of Burgundy, from the modern...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
History
The abbey was founded in 1104 at Fontemoy as a hermitage, or small priory, by the knight Anseric of Avallon and Gui of Noyers. it grew quickly and in 1128 was accepted into the Cistercian Order as a daughter house of Clairvaux AbbeyClairvaux Abbey
Clairvaux Abbey is a Cistercian monastery in Ville-sous-la-Ferté, 15 km from Bar-sur-Aube, in the Aube département in northeastern France. The original building, founded in 1115 by St. Bernard, is now in ruins; a high-security prison, the Clairvaux Prison, now occupies the grounds...
. The first abbot was Stephen of Toucy, a monk of Clairvaux. In 1134 the monastery was moved to the present site on the right bank of the River Cure, a gift to the community from William II, Count of Auxerre and Nevers
William II, Count of Nevers
William II, Count of Nevers , was a crusader in the Crusade of 1101.-Family:He was a son of Renauld II, Count of Nevers and his second wife Agnes of Baugency. ....
. In 1147 it was granted papal protection by Pope Eugene II
Pope Eugene II
Pope Eugene II, , pope was a native of Rome and was chosen to succeed Paschal I. Another candidate, Zinzinnus, was proposed by the plebeian faction, and the presence of Lothair I, son of the Frankish emperor Louis the Pious was necessary in order to maintain the authority of the new pope...
.
The abbey continued to thrive and at its peak numbered up to 300 monks. The generosity of the local nobility provided it with sufficient estates to maintain this large population and engage in active trade with its surplus produce. In 1370 King Charles V of France
Charles V of France
Charles V , called the Wise, was King of France from 1364 to his death in 1380 and a member of the House of Valois...
granted it royal protection, and in 1493 Charles VIII
Charles VIII of France
Charles VIII, called the Affable, , was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. Charles was a member of the House of Valois...
made it a fondation royale.
It suffered severely however both during the Hundred Years' War
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of separate wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known as the House of Anjou, for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings...
and in the French Wars of Religion
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion is the name given to a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants . The conflict involved the factional disputes between the aristocratic houses of France, such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise...
. In 1582 the Huguenots destroyed most of it by fire, including the church.
The monastic buildings were rebuilt during the 17th-18th centuries. The new church was completed in 1759-1765; the work is often attributed to Claude-Nicolas Ledoux but according to the French Ministry of Culture and Communication is by the less well-known royal architect Claude-Louis d'Aviler.
The abbey was dissolved in 1790 during the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
; the community at that point comprised eight monks. Many of the buildings, among them the new church, the cloisters, the chapter house
Chapter house
A chapter house or chapterhouse is a building or room attached to a cathedral or collegiate church in which meetings are held. They can also be found in medieval monasteries....
and the greater part of the conventual buildings, were destroyed. Many decorative items from the former abbey church are still to be found in churches nearby.
The precinct and surviving buildings, principally comprising the exceptional 14th century refectory
Refectory
A refectory is a dining room, especially in monasteries, boarding schools and academic institutions. One of the places the term is most often used today is in graduate seminaries...
, the 17th century dovecote
Dovecote
A dovecote or dovecot is a structure intended to house pigeons or doves. Dovecotes may be square or circular free-standing structures or built into the end of a house or barn. They generally contain pigeonholes for the birds to nest. Pigeons and doves were an important food source historically in...
and part of the south range of the conventual buildings restored in the 18th century, including the monks' parlour and dormitory, passed into private ownership. The site is now commercially run as a conference and event centre.
The abbey site was classed as a monument historique
Monument historique
A monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
in 1921.