Fontmorigny Monastery
| Fontmorigny Cistercian Abbey | |
|---|---|
 Abbey church from the northeast around 1880 |
|
| location |
 FranceRegion Center-Val de Loire Cher department |
| Coordinates: | 47 ° 1 '55 " N , 2 ° 57' 24" E |
| Serial number according to Janauschek |
294 |
| Patronage | St. Mary |
| founding year | 1149 |
| Year of dissolution / annulment |
1790 |
| Mother monastery | Clairvaux Monastery |
| Primary Abbey | Clairvaux Monastery |
|
Daughter monasteries |
no |
The Fontmorigny Monastery (Fons Morigniaci) is a former Cistercian abbey in what is now the Center-Val de Loire region in France . It is located in what is now the municipality of Menetou-Couture, around 45 km east of Bourges on the border of the historic Berry and Nivernais landscapes .
history
The monastery dates back to a hermitage built around 1100, which became a Benedictine abbey before 1127, which joined the Cistercian order in 1149 as a subsidiary of the Clairvaux primary abbey. Major parts of the building were erected in the 12th century. At the beginning of the 13th century, the well-equipped monastery had over 100 monks. The groin vaults of the guest wing's cellar date from this time. The so-called Refectory of Conversations (in a building to the west of the enclosure) dates from the middle of the 13th century. The church was consecrated in 1225. After 1250 the number of conversations decreased. As a result, the monastery, which only housed around 20 monks, was expanded to be more luxurious. a. by dividing the dormitory of conversations. At the end of the 15th century a new guest wing was built. The monastery fell into Kommende and in the 16th century a house was built for the abbot of the Kommende , of which the vaulted kitchen and a staircase have been preserved. The choir of the church was changed around 1605. In the 17th century the church was in ruins. Repairs took place in 1730. The side aisles and three of the five bays of the main nave and the side chapels were demolished. The remaining two central nave bays received a new facade. The floor of the church was raised. A new enclosure was built around the cloister. A large pond was also created. After the French Revolution , only those buildings that could be made usable for farming were retained from the frequently changing owners. After 1850 a metallurgical company moved in and the convent buildings housed working-class families until around 1880. After 1882, part of the east wing burned down and was not rebuilt. The monastery was converted into a residential building for local notables. In 1923 the plant was sold and became an object of speculation. Building materials and inventory were sold. The enclosure crumbled into ruins, of which little more than the surrounding walls remained. In 1981 a storm brought down the bell tower over the crossing. A circle of friends for the preservation of the abbey was formed in 1982. The abbey, classified as a "Monument historique", was sold in 1987 to new owners who are trying to preserve it. Major restorations have taken place since then.
Buildings and plant
The church, built according to the Bernhardine plan and only partially preserved, was a three-aisled, groin-vaulted basilica of five bays with projecting transepts and two side chapels on the east side and a just closed choir with three lancet windows and an overlying rosette that is now deprived of its tracery. The enclosure was in the south, and the so-called Konversenhaus with a large, two-aisled hall of four bays has been preserved to the west. Remnants of the cloister still exist.
literature
- Benoît Chauvin: Fontmorigny - un sauvetage exemplaire. In: Dossiers d'Archéologie. No. 234, 1998, ISSN 1141-7137 , pp. 68-69.
- Benoît Chauvin: Fontmorigny, abbaye cistercienne de Berry. Chauvin, Pupillin 1993, ISBN 2-904690-11-X .
- Bernard Peugniez: Routier cistercien. Abbayes et sites. France, Belgique, Luxembourg, Suisse. Nouvelle édition augmentée. Éditions Gaud, Moisenay 2001, ISBN 2-84080-044-6 , pp. 94-95.