Rievaulx Abbey
| Rievaulx Cistercian Abbey | |
|---|---|
 Ruin of the nave |
|
| location |
 United Kingdom England North Yorkshire
 |
| Coordinates: | 54 ° 15 '27 " N , 1 ° 7' 0" W |
| Serial number according to Janauschek |
52 |
| founding year | 1132 |
| Year of dissolution / annulment |
1538 |
| Mother monastery | Clairvaux Monastery |
| Primary Abbey | Clairvaux Monastery |
|
Daughter monasteries |
Melrose Abbey |
Rievaulx Abbey (pronounced / riːvoʊ /) was the first great Abbey of the Cistercians in England. The abbey ruins are near Helmsley in North Yorkshire .
history
The abbey was founded in 1132 by twelve monks from Clairvaux monastery as a mission center for the colonization of northern England and Scotland and quickly grew into one of the largest in Yorkshire , which could compete with Fountains Abbey . In 1142 more than 300 religious lived there. Especially under the abbot Aelred von Rievaulx , the number grew very strongly; at his death there were about 650 choir monks and brothers.
The abbey is located in a wooded valley near the River Rye . In order to have enough flat building land, the river was diverted three times in the 12th century. The monks also knew how to use their abbey economically: lead and iron were mined and the sheep's wool produced here was sold throughout Europe. With 24 km² of land, 140 monks and even more lay brothers, the abbey became a powerful institution.
Nevertheless, at the end of the 13th century, Rievaulx had high debts, on the one hand as a result of intensive construction activities, on the other hand after the loss of many sheep due to an epidemic. There were also robberies in the 14th century. Accepting new lay brothers became more difficult after the population was severely decimated by the plague. After all, the monks only had the option of leasing their land. In 1381 there were only 14 monks and 3 lay monks as well as the abbot left, as a result of which some buildings were downsized.
The abbey was dissolved by King Henry VIII in 1538 . At that time there were still 72 buildings for 21 monks, the abbot and 102 servants.
Web links
- Additional photos and information (English)