The Abbaye de Fontenay is one of the best-preserved Cistercian monastery complexes in France. The Romanesque abbey church and other monastery buildings in Fontenay survived wars and the French Revolution virtually intact and are inscribed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list. Fontenay is beautifully located in a forested valley but still easy to reach by car making this historical monument a great day-trip destination from Dijon, Troyes, and other areas of Burgundy in France.
The Romanesque Cistercian Abbaye de Fontenay Monastery, France
The Cistercian Abbaye de Fontenay monastery was founded in 1118 as a daughter of Cîteaux under the leadership of St Bernard of Clairvaux. The monastery prospered during much of the Middle Ages despite occasional raids and war damage. However, like so many other monasteries in France, Fontenay abbey was disbanded after the French Revolution and the lands sold off.
The monastery complex of Fontenay was bought by the Montgolfier family – related to the famous hot-air balloon pioneers – who used the buildings for a paper factory. As the buildings were imminently suitable for industrial use, almost all of the original Romanesque monastery buildings survived to the present.
After the paper factory closed in the early 1900s, many modern additions to the complex were removed and the Romanesque monastery buildings restored. In 1981, the Abbaye de Fontenay was inscribed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list.
Visiting the Abbaye de Fontenay Monastery in Burgundy, France
Almost all the original Romanesque buildings of the Abbaye de Fontenay monastery complex were preserved and many can be seen inside during visits to the monastery. The abbey complex is an excellent example of typical Cistercian design, lay-out, and architecture.
The church at Fontenay is without a tower and an unadorned western façade. Inside, the abbey church is mostly bare and without art, as it would have been during the Middle Ages in Cistercian monasteries. The Cistercians were not particularly stingy or poor – the lack of decorations was to ensure that the monks were not distracted by worldly art while they should be focusing on praising the Lord.
Visitors may also wander the cloisters – a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture. The chapter room and scriptorium are also Romanesque but with hints of the Gothic. Once again, the stark, clean architectural lines are unspoiled by unnecessary decorations.
Cistercian monks originally slept in a large, communal hall on mattresses on the floor with only low dividers between beds. This arrangement was not much of a hardship compared to how most peasants lived during the Middle Ages. Higher divisions and even doors were added during later years. Some of the chestnut beams in the monks’ dormitorium are from the mid-fifteenth century.
The Cistercians were fairly industrious and at Fontenay operated the first hydraulic hammer in Europe in a metallurgical factory of renown. In the large forge, a water wheel still operates while models illustrate how the hydraulic hammer and water wheel functioned.
Fontenay’s garden is very peaceful with a formal layout that invites relaxing strolls. When the monastery was still in operation, the gardens would have been functional with food production more important. Much of the gardens, like the interior of other buildings, are private and off limits to visitors.
Visitors Information for Abbaye de Fontenay in Burgundy, France
The Abbaye de Fontenay is still in private hands and this is reflected in the relatively high ticket prices. Admission to this historic site is €9.20 for adults and €5.50 for children. The complex can be seen without a guided tour – a free map with descriptions is available in several languages.
The Abbaye de Fontenay is open year round. From mid-November to March, the abbey is open from 10 am to noon and 2 to 5 pm. The rest of the year, Fontenay Abbey is open from 10 am to 6 pm, closing at 7 pm during most of July and August.
Other than water and a few vending machines, no further food or restaurant services are available at the abbey or in the immediate vicinity. However, drivers will find many fine restaurants in nearby towns.
Getting to Fontenay Abbey near Montbard in Burgundy
The Abbaye de Fontenay is located in a quiet valley in the French département Côte-d’Or (Gold Coast) in the région Bourgogne (Burgundy). Fontenay Abbey is around 6 km from Montbard on a small country road (D32) just off the D905, which comes from Dijon. Free parking is available right outside the abbey walls.
Montbard has a TGV high-speed train station but no public transportation other than taxis is available to Fontenay Abbey. Hiking and cycling are also pleasant options to reach Fontenay.
Fontenay Abbey is a great day-trip destination from Dijon (75 km / 1h15) or Troyes in Aube (100 km / 1h40) on often beautiful country roads. Fontenay is also a great stop when driving from Paris to Burgundy – the abbey is around 30 km from the Autoroute A6, exit 23 (Bierre-lès-Semur). Further interesting sights in the direct vicinity include the medieval villages Semur-en-Auxois and Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, as well as Alésia – scene of the final battle between the Gauls and Julius Caesar.
Kloster Maulbronn, just north of the Black Forest in Germany, is another UNESCO World Cultural Heritage-listed Cistercian Romanesque monastery complex in an excellent state of preservation.
Henk Bekker - Henk Bekker is a freelance travel writer currently living on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland.
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