Cîteaux Abbey.
(French:
Abbaye de Cîteaux) is a
Roman Catholic abbey located in
Saint-Nicolas-lès-Cîteaux, south of
Dijon,
France. Today it belongs to the
Trappists, or Cistercians of the Strict Observance (OCSO). The
Cistercian order takes its name from this mother house of Cîteaux, earlier
Cisteaux, near
Nuits-Saint-Georges. The abbey has about 35 members.
History
The abbey of Cîteaux was founded in 1098 by Saint
Robert of Molesme, who became the first
abbot, under the
rule of Saint Benedict.
16th-century perspective view of the abbey (engraving).
, a monk of Cîteaux Abbey, left it to found
Clairvaux Abbey in 1115, of which he was the first abbot. 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. In 1135 the
Chiaravalle Abbey in
Milan, Italy, was founded as a Cîteaux' filiation.
The great church of Cîteaux, begun near 1140, was completed in 1193. The
Dukes of Burgundy would be buried there.
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.
During the
Hundred Years' War, the monastery was pillaged in 1360 (when the monks sought refuge in Dijon), 1365, 1434 and 1438.
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 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.
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 sweets and caramels.
