Abbaye Notre-Dame de Cîteaux · Cîteaux Abbey · Citeaux Abbey
Birthplace and mother abbey of the Cistercian Order, founded in 1098 and still home to a monastic community.
Sacred Place Overview
Identity, documented context and sacred significance.
Abbey of Cîteaux is in Saint-Nicolas-lès-Cîteaux, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France and is the birthplace and mother abbey of the Cistercian Order, founded in 1098 and still home to a monastic community.. Robert of Molesme founded Cîteaux in 1098 as the “New Monastery,” which became the birthplace of the Cistercian Order.
Bernard of Fontaine arrived with companions in 1113 and was sent to found Clairvaux in 1115, during a period of rapid expansion. Monastic life at Cîteaux was interrupted for about a century by the Revolution and was re-established in 1898. The abbey remains an active Cistercian community.
Religious life or devotional practice associated with the site includes Cistercian monastic prayer and liturgy of the hours. Cîteaux is therefore both a foundational heritage site and a living monastery. Its significance comes from the institutional history of the Cistercian order, the early reform ideals associated with Robert, Alberic and Stephen Harding, and the later influence of Bernard, while the present community continues a regular life of prayer and work under the Rule of St. Benedict.
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Robert of Molesme founded Cîteaux in 1098 as the “New Monastery,” which became the birthplace of the Cistercian Order. Bernard of Fontaine arrived with companions in 1113 and was sent to found Clairvaux in 1115, during a period of rapid expansion. Monastic life at Cîteaux was interrupted for about a century by the Revolution and was re-established in 1898. The abbey remains an active Cistercian community.
Documented worship, observances and practices where available.
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