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| CISTERCIAN ABBEYS hystory and architecture |
Founded in 1098, the later cloister of Citeaux is the birthplace of the Cistercian Order. From here the Order spread to all parts of Europe. The Order's strict way of life is also reflected in the unadorned simplicity characteristic of its architecture, an expression its spirituality. The world of the Cistercians has exerted a great appeal right up to the present day - embodying as it does virtues of rural life in contrast to the problems of modern urban life. Cistercian cloisters are also an allegory of medieval utopia that reminds us of the fundamental questions in life. It is the harmony of ethics and aesthetics to be found in Cistercian structure that is the source of the fascination they excite. More than 50 cloisters from all over Europe are presented here at length with brilliant photographs and informative texts - a work that transports the reader back to the very roots of Christianity in Europe. Nine centuries ago, at a time when Benedictines from the Order of Cluny glorified God in splendid divinee offices and magnificent churches an unknown monk called Roben de Molesme suggested that they revert to the strict rule of Benoit de Nurcie: in prayer, seclusion and a life of manual labor. The "New Monastery", Cîteaux thus became a model for a сohort of "Cistercians", choir monks аnd lay brothers from some seven hundred abbeys across Europe, not to mention the nunneries linked to them. Thanks to Bernard de Clairvaux, the most famous of the "White Monks", the new Order soon evolved into the leading conscience of Christendom by both controlling political power and by rallying the entire feudal system in pursuit of the greatest glory of God. Once stripped of all ornament, the architecture of the Cistercian abbeys imposed a new aesthetic standard both on Romanesque art, which was perfected by the master craftsmen of the Order, and on early Gothic art, which they helped to develop throughout Europe. The Cistercian agricultural and industrial estates likewise made a highly effective contribution to the technological revolution of the 12th and 13th centuries. Jean-François Leroux-Dhuys and Henry Gaud focus on this episode of the history of the Cistercians in relation to their architectural legacy. But their analysis, unlike many existing works in this field, is not confined to the medieval period. The fascinating history of the cistеrcian Order continues to this day and has played an essential role in the evolution of both the Catholic Church and the political structure of European states. The "White Monks" demonstrated exemplary skills in building and adopting the various styles of their day, in particular elements of baroque architecture, which inspired some as yet little known masterpieces presented here in this volume. The vestiges or ruins of Cistercian abbeys continue to attract crowds of visitors even today. This book offers insight into the contemporary heritage of the Cistercian Order. |
CONTENTS Part one NINE CENTURIES AGO ORIGINS AND FOUNDATION Chapter I: The Origins of Christianity Chapter II: Christianity in the Late Eleventh Century Chapter III : From Molesme to Cîteaux PURITY AND POWER Chapter IV: Bernard of Clairvaux Chapter V: Monastic Architecture According to Bernard of Clairvaux Chapter V: Romanesque Architecture in the Early Cistercian Period THE POWER AND THE GLORY Chapter VI: Cistercian Europe Chapter VIII: Political and Religious Glory Chapter IX: Economic Power Chapter X: The Essence of Architecture CENTURIES OF TRIAL Chapter XI: The Trials of the Later Middle Ages Chapter XII: The Breaking Up of The Order Chapter XIII:Swansong Chapter XIV: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow Part Two THE CISTERCIAN WORLD IN EUROPE Acey, France Alcobaça, Portugal Bebenhausen, Germany Bective, Republic of Ireland Boyle, Republic of Ireland Buildwas, England Byland, England Casamari, Italy Chiaravalle della Colomba, Italy Chiaravalle Milanese, Italy Cîteaux, France Clairvaux, France Dunbrody, Republic of Ireland Dundrennan, Scotland Flaran, France Fontenay, France Fontfroide, France Fontmorigny, France Fossanova, Italy Fountains, England Furness, England Heiligenkreuz, Austria Holy Cross, Republic of Ireland Нore, Republic of Ireland Jerpoint, Republic of Ireland Léoncel, France Lérins, France Loc Dieu, France Margam, Wales Maulbronn, Germany Mellifont, Republic of Ireland Melrose, Scotland Morimondo, Italy Noirlac, France Obazine, France Orval, Belgium Osek, Czech Republic Otterberg, Germany Poblet, Spain Pontigny, France Portalegre, Portugal Rievaulx, England Royaumont, France Salem, Germany San Galgano, Italy Santes Creus, Spain Sedlec, Czech Republic Sénanque, France Silvacane, France Silvanès, France Staffarde, Italy Sweetheart, Scotland Le Thoronet, France Tintern, Wales Tintern Minor, Republic of Ireland Tisnov (Porta Coeli) Czech Republic Valcroissant, France Valle Crucis, Wales Valmagne, France Veruela, Spain Villers-la-Ville, Belgium Vyssi Brod, Czech Republic Zdár, Czech Republic Zlata Koruna, Czech Republic Zwettl, Austria Notes Index of Names and Places Acknowledgments |
 
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