Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay, France

The Abbey of Fontenay is the oldest surviving Cistercian monastery in France. It was founded in 1118. Its foundation was due to the rapid growth of the order. The 12th and 13th centuries were the heydays of the monastery. It has been falling into disrepair since the Hundred Years' War. The monastery was sacked by the army of the English conquerors during the war period. It lost almost all of its valuables. Less than 20 monks lived in the dilapidated monastery at the beginning of the 18th century.

The monks themselves destroyed some buildings of the large-scale abbey as unnecessary during this period. There were no funds for the maintenance of a large architectural complex. The Abbey of Fontenay was closed during the French Revolution. The historic building was sold in 1791. The manufacturer Claude Hugo became its owner. He converted the convent into a factory for the production of paper. It worked for more than a hundred years afterward. Wealthy banker Edouard Aynard became the new owner of the historic building in 1906.

He decided to close the factory. He carried out a complete reconstruction of the historical building at his own expense. It was possible to restore the original medieval appearance of the building during the reconstruction. The ancient monastery continues to be owned by the Aynard family today. A significant part of its premises is open for guided tours. The old monastery church is of particular interest to visitors. It was built in 1147. It is a striking monument in the Gothic style.

There are many unique design elements in the walls of the abbey. The elaborate mosaic floor is considered one of the main decorations. The cloister of the abbey is perfectly preserved. Its length is 38 meters. Incredibly beautiful galleries with vaulted ceilings and carved colonnades frame it. There is a monastery smithy in the southern part of the architectural complex. It was built in the 12th century. Originally, the workshop was located here. The stone was processed in it. The forge received its current status several hundred years later. Next - Abbey of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe