Located near Nuits-Saint-Georges, in the municipality of Saint-Nicolas-lès-Cîteaux in Burgundy, Cîteaux Abbey was founded in 1098 by Robert of Molesme, the head of a small group of monks aspiring to a simple life as described in the Gospel. It was here that the famous St. Bernard began his monastic life, before becoming the first abbot of Clairvaux in 1115. The abbey soon became the birthplace of the Cistercian order, and the creation of daughter abbeys at the beginning of the 12th century allowed its influence to spread throughout France and then Europe. Monastic life was governed by very strict rules such as solitude, separation from the outside world and manual work. After the Revolution, the monks were expelled and the abbey was sold and dismantled. It was not until the very end of the 19th century that monks took possession of the estate again. Today, about thirty of them live there according to the rule of St. Benedict, in the heart of the peaceful and green countryside of Côte-d'Or.
A permanent exhibition in the old definitorium, a film about the life of the Cîteaux monks, and a guided tour of the historic buildings, including the 13th-century scribes' cloister and the 15th-century library, provide a chance to learn more about the monastic world and the Cistercian tradition.
The monks of Cîteaux Abbey are also the producers of Cîteaux cheese, made from Montbéliarde cows' milk. This is a pressed, uncooked cheese with a fruity flavour that will tantalise any gourmet's taste buds!
| Telephone | +33 3 80 61 11 53 |
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| Official site | citeaux-abbaye.org |
