Fontfroide Abbey

Daughter monasteries

Fontefroide was founded in 1093 as a Benedictine Monastery, located at the outlet of a quiet valley on a changeable water-bearing creek, only about 15 kilometers southwest of Narbonne, in the Aude, Languedoc -Roussillon (France) and even closer to the coasts of the great lagoons of the Mediterranean in the east.

Presumably the occasion of the visit of St Bernard of Clairvaux in the Languedoc in 1146 joined the Benedictine monastic community until then the Cistercian order.

Fontfroide is now undoubtedly the best preserved monastery ensemble of the Cistercian Order in the 12th and 13th centuries.

3.1 Floor Plan
3.2 cloister
3.3 East Wing 3.3.1 Chapter House
3.3.2 sacristy
3.3.3 Armarium
3.3.4 clearance
3.3.5 dormitory of the monks

3.9.1 Long House
3.9.2 transept and choir

History

The choice of the founding of the Abbey site is in no way the practice of young religious communities, such as the Benedictines, but especially the Cistercians. They chose rather solitary and located off the human civilization places to build their monasteries there. Why that did not happen here, is not known and can not be explained. If you visit Fontfroide today, appears a its location, surrounded by vast forests and high mountain ridges, especially quiet and still, what the founder has perhaps already impressed.

Around 1093, even before the founding of Citeaux ( 1098 ), the original monastery of the Cistercian order, here is a group of pious monks settled in supposed " wasteland " next to an old Roman bridge, which Aymaric, the Viscount of Narbonne ( Saracen origin), like the inhospitable piece of land left. The founding monks gave themselves first of the Rule of St. Benedict, but the attraction of the under Bernard of Clairvaux powerful growing reform movement of the Cistercians was not immune to these young monk Congregation in the Corbières.

Thus closed this 1146 some fifty years after the founding Fontfroides, the Order of Citeaux to, may be directly related to the great preaching tour of Bernard of Clairvaux, which he had undertaken at the request of the Occitan counts and bishops. His path led him straight to 1146 Fontfroide over. In the same year, the monks began to build the monastery church, an impressive example of the simplicity of Cistercian architecture. According to another source that was 1157th

Also the cloister dates as well as derKapitelsaal from the 12th century, both masterpieces of Romanesque architecture. However, the north gallery was rebuilt with its increase during the 17th and 18th centuries. For her the great arcades are still completely open.

The name derives from the Latin Fontfroide " fons frigidus " = cold, fresh source corresponding to the Cistercians, to build their monasteries to watercourses.

With the membership of the Cistercian movement, the abbey quickly developed into one of the most important branches of the Order in the south of France. The conveying of the monastery belonged Gerard of Roussillon, Alphonse d' Aragon, Guillaume of Montpellier, the Count of Toulouse and the Viscount of Beziers, Carcassonn. Already 1151 is Berenguer IV of Barcelona asked for the establishment of a daughter monastery in Catalonia. Poble, the first daughter house of Fontfroide, surpassing his mother monastery in influence and importance, since it became the " pantheon " of the Count - Kings of Aragon Barcelona.

The late 12th, early 13th century Fontfroide reached the peak of its historical mission. It had become in the course of the heretics Bekämpfungen one of the most influential bulwarks of orthodoxy. Pope Innocent III. convened in 1199 the Abbot of Fontfroide, Pierre de Castelnau, the former archdeacon of the Cathedral of Maguelone, and with him the monk Raoul Fontfroide to his personal legate in the fight against heresy. The assassination of Pierre de Castelnau too Zealot provided the immediate occasion to proclaim the Albigensian crusade. With the outbreak at the beginning of the 13th century architectural building in the monastery experienced a break. After the conclusion of peace ( 1229 ) extensive works were carried out in the monastery again. The church of 1146 was renovated, decorated with a large tracery windows, vaulted cloister and increased its North Gallery. An individual elements - such as the window above the choir apse - it became clear that the standard in the early days of the Cistercian rigor gradually softened and slightly greater splendor was given space.

As a former abbot of Fontfroide Jacques Fournier, who was first Bishop of Pamiers (from 1317 ) and Mirepoix ( 1326 ), 1334 under the name of Benedict XII. the third Pope, who resided in Avignon. He owes you the older, established in the strict Cistercian spirit part of the Pope's Palace in Avignon. Probably in the tenure Jacques Fournier as abbot of the monastery Fontfroide (1311-1317) was extended the south aisle of the abbey church by five rectangular in plan chapels.

1348 reached the plague also Frontfroide, and the loss of at least three-quarters of his monks, the abbey did not recover. Although they played in the 15th century, in the time of the Great Schism a significant role, because the acquired wealth and interference in secular affairs was the original strict Cistercian spirit lost in the 13th century.

The great wealth Fontfroides awakened desires and in 1476 it fell under the Coming. In the 17th and especially the 18th century were made many changes to the convent buildings by Kommendataräbte and their Priore: To the dormitory of the lay brothers has been converted into a guest quarters and a living area for the abbot, an orangery limited the inner court, the Court of Honour an elegant wall was built, terraced gardens were created, and a new large porch screened this little world to the outside.

Although the monastery was largely spared from the devastation in the 16th and 18th centuries, could not be stopped its decline.

The last monks left Fontfroide 1791. Fortunately, survived the monastery building the turmoil of the revolution without too much loss. New monastic life arose in 1858, when a small community of monks from Sénanque settled back into Fontfroide. The last abbot Père Jean died in 1895, widely regarded as a saint. With the law against religious faiths of 1901 the monastic life was extinguished for good. The last monks fled to Spain, and the system was left to 1908 itself. In an auction Fontfroide was acquired by passionate art lovers and saved from decay.

Extensive restoration work followed. So colored church windows were installed, ornate ironwork decorating the window openings, statues and semi - reliefs adorn the walls and gardens.

In 1990, a rose garden with more than 3,000 rose bushes south of the church was created.

Fontfroide is now undoubtedly the best preserved monastery ensemble of the Cistercian Order in the 12th and 13th centuries. The over time become somewhat reddish sandstone of the convent building merges with the tonal values of its environment and a harmony with nature, which may have been already intended by the Cistercian builders.

A Cistercian abbey

Sainte -Marie de Fontfroide was since 1146 an abbey of the Cistercian Order, who in 1098 in Citeaux - south of Dijon - from the Benedictine abbot Robert de Molesme ( 1028-1111 ), had been founded also called Robert of Citeaux.

The members of this Benedictine reform the Order strictly followed the rules of St. Benedict of Nursia ( 480-550 ). The special feature of this faith community is the economic independence of the individual abbeys and their orden legal constitution. Between each " mother abbey " and their " daughters ", ie their start-ups, there is a kind of family ties. So brought the first branch houses of Citeaux Abbey, especially their four most important: La Ferté, Pontigny, Clairvaux and Mori Moon, again many "daughters" out, the whole of Europe spanned like a net soon.

For all the monasteries was a "charter ", in which the principles of the Order are fixed. The abbots met, at least in the early days of the Order, once a year for a general chapter in the monastery of Citeaux, whose abbot they were subject.

The demand for simple life and property abandonment is central to the life of the monks, because they favor the internalization of faith. Bernard of Clairvaux, the famous abbot and theologian of the Order (1090-1153), condemned everything that the monk can distract from his pursuit of God, including sculptures, paintings, stained glass windows and wall hangings, as they adorned many medieval buildings. The only functions that have been awarded the Art, the completed design of the forms and volumes, as well as light and shadow effects. It basically offered peace and nature of the indispensable framework.

The Cistercian order spread extremely quickly. When changing the monastic community of Fontfroide in the Cistercian Order in 1146 he already counted about 330 monasteries.

The daily life of the Cistercian

The strictly ordered daily routine of the monks or nuns left little space. Their main occupations were prayer, reading, physical work, and rest, with the work to be done depended on the seasons and the needs of the abbey. In addition, nearly every monk exercised a particular ministry, such as prior, second prior, precentor, sacristan, administrators, nurses, in charge of the guest tract, porter, novices and other caregivers. Silence was one of the requirements of regulation, the monks agreed with characters. The physical work, garden and field work or craft activities, took four to six hours to complete, while the rest of the day was spent in prayer and reading. The prayers were from the three choirs: " healthy monks ," " infirm monks " and " novices " sung. After a six -, nine-hour night in winter the monks were for matins, awakened to morning prayers. Then they came together during the day to seven more hours prayers. Cistercian wear undyed wool cowl, which is why they are also called "white monks ".

Buildings and grounds

Ground plan

From the graphic sources are shown not to scale or other dimensions, so here must be waived.

In the plan view can be essentially divided into two areas: the older and larger Romanesque section, with black and the younger section, with brownish wall cross sections.

The floor plan of Fontfroide is a perfect example of the " monastic city " as they designed and Saint Benedict Saint Bernard clarified. The ideal city, the monastery first meets the needs of a community that has withdrawn from the world. Following the rule " if it is possible, the monastery should be built so that everything Indispensable - the water, the mill, the garden - should be located in the interior of the plant and can be exercising the various activities" ( the Rule C 66.6 ). the monastery is not just a collection of buildings connected with a church. What particularly distinguishes this system, but is the always consistent plan of the different function of the building. Together they form the monastic quadrangle, which the monks has its own living area which is adapted to the strict requirements of the monastic community.

The main division of the total investment is made in east-west direction through the wing of the convent premises, to which belong, like all other premises, which are located to the south of it, which alone is subject to the Order of belonging to the monastic community. To the north, there are those areas of the conversi ( lay brothers ) that are beneficial to their physical work of the monastic community. This area provides the essential contacts with the outside world, not monastic, as for guests, suppliers, dealers and others.

Cloister

Center and heart of the monastic ensemble is the almost square Kreuzganghof, surrounded by four cloister galleries, whose eastern with the generous chapter house is in open communication. The courtyard side arcatures the north, west and south gallery have four equal width each, the Ostgalerie five yokes. The middle three bays take significantly narrower yoke widths of the chapter house. The structure of the cloister floor plan, its balustrades, pillars, columns, capitals and their maintenance of round-arched arcading are largely Roman origin. The galleries were initially not covered with stone vaults, but only with wooden pent roofs. Today quite high stilted Gothic cross vault of the galleries are from the mid-13th century, as well as the large lunettes of the yokes, with their oculi and sharpened repeatedly profiled blind arches. In the Gothic reconstruction the courtyard side walls were well led up a meter above the apex of the big blind arcades as attics and finished there with multiple profiled cantilevered cover plates. Beyond lie walk- stone gutters, in the collected rainwater from the flat sloping stone-tiled pitched roof surfaces and discharged through much deeper arranged stone gargoyles to the outside.

The vaults of the south gallery are eight sections, the remaining four parts. The diagonal ribs and the arch separating transverse arches have two-stage cross-sections: three quarters of a round bar profile is underpinned by a significantly wider rectangular profile, the visible edges are rounded. The eight -part vaults four ribs are inserted between the diagonal ribs still, from a simple three-quarters round bar profile. The label sheets on the walls are marked by half- round rods. The ribs come in the top line against a cylindrical capstone with molded ribs profiles and a lower-side circle ring containing an herbal relief.

In the West, South and Ostgalerie the large pointed archway in the form of barrel vaults in each yoke facing courtyard largely filled by a balustrade, on which four-part arcatures are from five pairs of columns with vegetable carved capitals, joint profiled fighters and bases on angular plinths with Eckspornen. These carry four semi -circular arcs whose inner and outer Laibungskanten are dissolved in round profiles. In the arch above is mainly a large oculus, or " bull's-eye ", relieved, its soffit is resolved into several round bar profiles. Some arched panels each contain three smaller oculi with just such soffits. In the smaller yokes of the Ostgalerie each a pair of columns is missing. The inside of the parapet walls are cantilevered benches.

In the West Gallery of the seat are installed at both ends sinks, which have served the Cistercians to their ritual washing feet in height. In the three previous galleries are on the inside front of each pillar on projections of the parapets three more columns, similar to those of pairs of columns. These are the arc approaches the vault ribs.

On the walls opposite the corresponding cross-ribbed stand on vegetable carved projecting consoles. In the northern yoke of the West Gallery a large arcades opening is recessed instead of the small-scale arcature on parapet and spandrel. Your soffit follows at some distance the vertical pillars and arches of the vault shield. The parapet has shrunk to a base low altitude.

In the north gallery, there is no spandrel panels and the standing thereon arcatures and arc fields. Here all yokes are open as above. The courtyard side arch ribs are here on projecting consoles, such as against. Instead parapets two treads are arranged in each yoke that allow free access to the Kreuzganghof full length of the gallery. Also the entrances are located on this gallery to the dining rooms of the monks, that is a direct connection to the fountain in the courtyard.

Another exception is the middle of the arcade Ostgalerie, where the parapet and the tympanum is missing. This is a direct access from the chapter house is created in the yard. To the pillar side of said passage are arranged three columns corresponding to those of the adjacent columns.

Alone the North Gallery has an upper floor of a narrow barrel-vaulted passage leading over the entire length of the north wing and in its south wall has a string of high, narrow round-arched arcades. He connects the two staircases in the tract of the novices and the monk wings.

Abbey Fontfroide, Kreuzganghof of OG North Gallery

Abbey Fontfroide, Kreuzganghof NW corner

Abbey Fontfroide, Kreuzganghof NO- corner

Arcature with oculus

Abbey Fontfroide, capitals of the twin pillars

Abbey Fontfroide, Kreuzgangkapitell

East Wing

Chapter House

The chapter house opens in all its breadth from the middle three yokes of the Ostgalerie the cloister. Access is made from the center yoke via a step down and is laterally delimited by the ends of the broad parapet walls with rounded edge view. On both sides of the passage opened one group of five columns the " forest of columns " of the chapter house and makes him appear to be particularly tight.

For terrific experience Cistercian architecture, the view from the back of the room increases towards the courtyard. The pillars of the chapter house are complemented by those of the arcatures Ostgalerie. Here it becomes clear how much of the Cistercian cloister together with the chapter house is the culmination of a Mediterranean architecture that is based not least on the effect of the columns. A four-time graduation of columns and each differently lit rooms give a Christian interpretation of the pillar forest of the Mezquita of Cordoba.

The columns are equipped like the inside of the hall. Some of the capitals have fine- membered vegetable decorative, while others are simply shaped and remained without sculpture.

The three arcades of the passages are covered by slightly sharpened edged rectangular in cross-section sheets. The medium is slightly lower than the outer and is rounded slightly shallower. Their approaches are uniformly high on stronger fighters of the column groups. The outer stand on pilasters of the same dimension with fighter profiles. On both sides of the wall arches strong arcuate wall projections are upstream, ranging up to the plate arches. In the outer sheets, these being parallel to the sheets. In the middle archway, the template is sharpened considerably steeper and thereby unequal width. Before the imposts of the two -sided gallery columns projecting consoles are attached, which pass on the expense of the ribbed vault of the gallery.

The hall has an almost square ground plan and is surrounded on all sides by stone two-stage seats. It is divided by slender columns in almost nine square boxes that carry a network of cross-ribbed vaults. Four long freestanding columns limit the average field. Ten shorter three-quarter round columns are modeled on the walls on the upper seating levels. Their stems are smooth and are separated from the capital by a narrow ring. Their capitals are carved with large leaves and are covered by strong, simple profiled and wide overhanging fighters. The round Attic bases stand on plinths edged with Eckspornen. The transverse arches of the vaults have simple rectangular cross-sections, which are the label sheets on the walls half as wide. The diagonal cross ribs are almost completely round cross-sections.

The chapter house is lit by three round-arched window openings in the east wall, addition, or indirectly through the Ostgalerie the cloister.

The generous opening of the chapter house in the Ostgalerie allowed the lay brothers to participate in the presentations and discussions of the members of the Order.

Sacristy

Is the sacristy, which can even be from the Ostgalerie and in addition has a direct access to the church between the chapter house and the northern transept of the church. It is illuminated by a window that is similar to those of the chapter house.

Armarium

In the north transept leads along the wall of the cloister a straight upstairs to the dormitory of the monks. The small room under the staircase is said to have housed the Armarium. Access might have been possible from the Ostgalerie or from the sacristy.

Clearance

On the north side of the chapter house is a room about the same size as the sacristy. He is referred to as passage space to the open area northeast of the church. There is a second cemetery for deceased monks said to have been created.

The space is also regarded as a storage space for tools and equipment, and perhaps also as parlatorium.

Dormitory of the monks

As with almost all Cistercian monasteries is also located here on the first floor of the dormitory rooms Osttrakts the convent of the friars. This can be especially direct access to the transept and the choir of the church. It is covered by a sharpened vault. The illumination from both sides on a series of round-arched windows, which have become smaller with the increase thereof by the Gothic arches on the side of the cloister.

At the north end of the Osttrakts is another basement stairs that led to the aforementioned dormitory, but also opens up the floor of the north wing.

North wing

The two-storey north wing extends north of the cloister almost the entire width of the monastery, from the south end of the tract of the lay brothers, to the stream. In him the most convention rooms of the monks were housed. Along the north gallery was the refectory with space for forty monks, who were the shortest way to reach the fountain in Kreuzganghof on the open arcades from there. The kitchen has also a short distance to dining room and wine cellar. A fireplace makes the room as Calefactorium ( space heat ) recognize. Additional rooms were mostly working rooms of the monks, as the space group Fraterie and others. Upstairs there were probably other Convention rooms, perhaps a residence of the abbot. In the east, the toilets are likely to have been in near the creek. The exposure of the premises is mainly provided by round-arched window in the north wall of the tract, which open into the court of Louis XIV.

The west wing

The west wing contains a large storage cellar, the floor is lowered relative to the other five steps. It is accessed via two doors, one from the outside, the other from the stairwell. His strong masonry is referred to as the oldest of the monastery. The space is covered stützenlos from a wide span vaulted ceiling ( with segmentbogenförmigem cross section). The exposure of the basement through three round-arched windows in the south wall.

The basement is separated from the West Gallery of a long passage which connects the rooms of the lay brothers with the rearmost yoke of the Church, their common area at the services. The unexposed gear is covered by a half- barrel vault. He said a French source " La ruelle of convers " = "The street of the lay brothers ".

About the possible use of the upper floor of the west wing of the sources give no information.

Chapel of strangers

A separate building opposite the west wing in conjunction with the retaining wall on the mountainside holds the chapel of strangers (La chapelle of étrangers ), which already existed in the original monastery. You should allow strangers and pilgrims stay without disturbing the operation of the monastery monks. In the 14th century it was converted into a chapel, which was perhaps used only by abbots.

Tract of the Converses

In an extension of the storage cellar to the north extends in the same width of the two-story wing of the conversi, or lay brothers, which arose in the 12th century and later underwent multiple renovations. Between the west wing and the tract of the Converses a link and stairwell is interposed, which formed the original main entrance to the monastery, over which one could reach almost all areas of the monastery.

On the ground floor there is only a single very large room, the refectory of the converse. He offered seats at tables for 180 to 200 people. Its southern end was the common kitchen and the wine cellar in the near connection. His fünfjochiges ribbed vault has strong cross ribs and transverse arches with rectangular cross-sections. In the center yoke, there are now two opposing round-arched portals which were probably installed later in the 17th or 18th century. During this time, the large space was divided into several areas, which was reversed after 1908.

The exposure take today on the outer west side in the other four bays each a pair of windows with round-arched openings. On the courtyard side it is complemented by three other large round-arched windows. In the northern head wall a large portal opening is recessed with basket arch, which is closed with an ornate wrought iron railing with vine leaves. The north gable is a covered terrace with three round-arched arcades upstream, which open into a small flowering Italian garden.

The large fireplace on the south wall probably dates from the Renaissance castle of the Dukes of Montmorency in Pezenas, which has been placed here on behalf of Cardinal Richelieu.

Upstairs today is the original state of the dormitory of the monks, and later lay brothers to recognize. The room has almost the same layout as the refectory below. The magnificent slightly pointed barrel vaults made of pink sandstone stands, with its approaches directly on the floor, which is covered with red brick tiles. There are only two round-arched windows in the north wall head here. According to the sources, an additional attic was drafted in the southern area of the room, which was used for dry storage of filled with sacks of corn that could be raised above lateral openings.

The vault of the dormitory is a reconstruction of the 20th century, were removed during the subsequent modifications of the upper floor to hotel rooms again. Of these, however, large back the upper wall area rectangular window openings are left on the west wall of the courtyard, decorated with Renaissance tracery in the form of profiled window crosses.

Entrance / Cour d' Honneur

After passing the entrance hall with its elegant lines and the monumental round-arched entrance portal in a classically decorated wall from orange to pink sandstone blocks in the regular association, all built around 1777/78, the visitor reaches the slender little rectangular courtyard, the slightly wider south will. On the west side of the courtyard wall to the portal of the same material and the same amount is continued with horizontal crown. Approximately in the middle of a wall fountain is installed, in which a monster grimace from his mouth can hang out his giant tongue, about the ripples down a surge of water in a stone cup.

The south end of the yard is completed by an equally high triple openwork wall with classical style elements. The central region of the wall protrudes a bit from the rest of the surface and is closed on the upper side a saddle roof -shaped, with no angle of 20 degrees. In height and along the verge of the eave a Kraggesims over the whole wall length, the ridge extends slightly projects beyond the wall. In the lateral wall sections is each a large round-arched arcade relieved, with keystone arches, their approaches are to fighter profiles. In the middle section a slightly larger blind arcade is embedded with the same wedge stone arch. Her background also opens on a pedestal a large rectangle in the arch an oval. Both openings are filled with wrought iron railings.

The east side consists of the significantly higher tract of the Converses, in the middle of the round-arched portal from the 17-18. Century opens. In fall particularly the rectangular window with mullions that have arisen over the same period.

Behind the southern wall of the main courtyard and then to a southward tapering passage past the west wing of the monastery and the chapel of the stranger, leading to a final court, which unfolds in front of the facade of the monastery church.

Fontfroide Abbey, fountain in courtyard

Abbey Fontfroide, south wall courtyard, central portion

Abbey Fontfroide, relief with coat of arms

Abbey Church

The abbey church was, as usual, built on the highest point of the monastery. It corresponds to the traditional plan in the shape of a Latin cross.

Longhouse

The Romanesque Abbey Church offers a further highlight of Cistercian architecture. Its construction was started towards the end of the 12th century. It proves to be highly original formulation of the well-known scheme. The originally three-nave ( older part) and fünfjochige nave of the church is limited to the outer wall of its north aisle, the south gallery of the cloister. At both ends of this wall there is ever an access from the monastery, one of the monks from the south-east corner of the cloister in the fifth yoke and a second from the western " alley of the lay brothers " in the first bay of the church. The slim central nave is vaulted by steeply pointed tons, which are divided by a rectangular cross section and sharp transverse arches in five spans. Their curvature approaches are marked by powerful led over the capitals of the top services as a fighter Kraggesimsen. At this height, lean into the extremely slim, high aisles, the apex of their half barrel vaults, which are also divided by transverse arches. The septa are perforated by slender arcades, reach up their pointed arches, with its apex nearly to below the Kraggesimse the curvature whose jambs on both sides have sharp Rückversätze. The inner rectangular in cross-section arches are semicircular on services that are not equipped with sculpted capitals and far-projecting profiled fighters. The transverse arches of the nave are semicircular twin on services that are not equipped with dual sculpted capitals and profiled fighters in the amount of Kraggesims. The transverse arches of the side aisles are on both sides of pilasters with same cross sections. The header section of the septum arcades is passed around the entire pillar and the twin services and wall templates. The vaults approaches in the aisles will be marked as the nave of projecting consoles that are led around as a fighter to the wall templates. At this height are also the arc approaches the round-arched arcades on the eastern tip ends of the aisles.

The here very pointy high guided ton of the nave belies the southern French principle of church hall. In the tradition of this hall churches is also the vaulting of the aisles with half barrel vaults.

A trick particularly unusual way, the increase of the bases of the pillars and services of the septum pillar to about three feet height dar. one hand by the ridge of the arches is interrupted, but at the same time a certain weightlessness, lifted from the level of the church floor evokes. In the particularly against the foundation walls projecting far templates and bases including strong outwardly rounded projecting consoles were inserted.

In the former outer wall of the south aisle five rectangular in plan chapels were added in the term of office of the abbot Jacques Fournier at the beginning of the 14th century, in which ogival arcades open in whole yoke breadth. Your soffits are repeatedly dissolved in some round bar profiles. The chapels are covered by eight-part rib vaults whose ribs and barrel vaults are profiled several times. They meet at the apex in a round keystone with concealed decoration. The pointed-arch windows are quite large kept, as they need to replace the formerly recessed in the side wall of the nave windows. Fifth yoke a square window is cut, which is placed on the corner.

Fontfroide Abbey, Abbey Church, N. aisle

Fontfroide Abbey, Abbey Church, south aisle

Fontfroide Abbey, Abbey Church, south nave chapel

The nave and the north aisle are each covered by a 20 degree inclined gable roof. In the unusually high reaching wall of the aisle five round-arched windows are recessed above the connection of the cloister gallery. In the upper wall area some slit-like openings are recessed, presumably for ventilation of the roof space. On the south side of the shed roof of the aisle, followed by a good bit under the eaves of the nave, just below the eaves close to the lean-to roof of the chapels. The first four chapels have pointed windows and in the fifth bay a square window that is placed on a corner.

On the façade, the west wall of the church, there is the humble designed in Cistercian simplicity main portal of the abbey church. It is bounded laterally by three times Rückversätzen the wall, but in which only one each column stands, which is topped with a simple sculptured capitals. Capital and offsets are covered with correspondingly staggered fighter profiles. These carry three tiered edged Archivolts sheets of curved elongated voussoirs. The semi-circular tympanum stands on the inner Laibungspfeilern presented on three relief panels a crucifixion from the 15th century. The free space between the panels are decorated with a mosaic of many square cubical stones. The portal wings are decorated with wrought-iron bands. The stone facing of the portal emerges as a rectangular wall projection from the facade, which is on the upper side covered by a sloped sill.

In the gable wall above three large window openings are cut out. At the bottom, two round-arched windows are broken with their Laibungskanten Rückversätzen. The openings are decorated with Gothic tracery. The third window is the opening of a circular oculus, the so just fits into the intermediate space of the gable. His Laibungskante is resolved using a round rod.

Transept and choir

In the east, the nave is limited by the transept, from an almost square in plan transept with two equally large transept arms. The crossing is in the extension of the nave, the transept arms are in extension of the aisles and the south gallery of the cloister, or the five Südkapellen. Crossing and transept arms are covered with cross vaults, whose arc approaches and vertices coincide with the corresponding heights of the nave. The last arcade of the nave into the transept corresponds to those of the transept arms in the crossing. The cross ribs have cross-sections of whole bars which are the shield arcs square. The fighters and Kraggesimse correspond in form and altitude where the central nave. The circular keystones in the vault vertices of the transept arms on the underside easily sculpted. At the apex of the crossing, a circular oculus is recessed, which is framed by a round rod.

Through him, first received the transept a transcendent light increase in its top line. The recognizable here original light guide with increase in Vierungsbereich is today but much disturbed by the subsequent introduction of oversized round-arched Maßwerkfensters in the east wall above the entrance to the choir.

In the gable walls of both transepts fill the plate bends at a large window in the form of a quatrefoil. The inner annulus is flanked by four four-four arches. The window in the north transept is the outside as the inside surrounded by a round-arched blind arcade. In the Ostwänden the transept arms about the center two smaller windows are recessed, a round-arched, about iin half height and a circular oculus in the shield sheet of the vault. The windows have inside rear set Gewändekanten.

In the north transept leads on the west wall, a wide staircase with twenty steps leading up to a round-arched door in the dormitory of the monks. This is bounded by a closed wall carrying along with the eastern and northern walls of a gallery whose floor is approximately at the height of the fall of the dormitory door, and is supported by a flat ribbed vault. Vierungsseitig opens in the full width of the gallery an arcade, which is covered by a segmental arch. In the north wall is a door to the sacristy is recessed. In the south transept is found in the south wall a door once in a large chapel probably recent led to the same wall there is a walled spiral staircase that leads up to a small tower on the roof. In the lower middle of the wall is still a slim round-arched windows cut out.

In the east wall of the transept open some different sized arches in the choir and the transept chapels. The mean pointed arcade to the choir is at the apex only about half as high as the apex of the barrel vaults of the transept. His Laibungskanten are circumferentially dissolved in strong Rückversätze. The arch approaches are marked by profiled fighters. Behind the arcade connects to a rectangular in plan choir bay, which is covered by a ribbed vault. It is followed by the actual somewhat narrower rectangular choir, which is surmounted by a pointed barrel. It is completed by a polygonal apse in the plan, in the form of a half- hexagon, which is covered by a half- ribbed vault. Three round-arched slit-like little windows with flared jambs brighten the choir only weak.

Chapels in the south transept

Fontfroide Abbey, Abbey Church, vaulted transept and northern transept

Fontfroide Abbey, Abbey Church, south transept

On both sides of the choir closes depending on a very small, almost square in plan chapel. The outline of the round-arched arcade goes without turning points in the walls and the vault, which is terminated by a plan east wall, in which a proof is omitted, as the. In the choir The vaults approaches are marked by the known Kraggesimse. Follow the inner chapels, separated by strong walls, the outer chapels, whose foundations almost equal to that of the choir, but to a much lesser extent. The outline of the transept arcade side is slightly wider and higher than that of the inner chapels, their vaults approaches, however, are at the same height. The depth of the rectangular Kapellenjoche corresponds to the depth of the adjacent chapels. You are covered by barrel vaults. The outline of the chapel following section, with a rectangular plan, is somewhat narrower and less high than the yoke. He is again completed by a polygonal apse in the form of a half- hexagon, which is covered by half a groin vault. The apses have the same window as the chevet.

The arcade of the north chapel is covered in the upper part of the well subsequently grown here gallery.

The floors of the chancel and the chapels are adjacent to two steps above the floor of the transept. The main altar stands on an additional three-tiered base. The altars in the apses of the outer bands are also on three levels higher floors.

The square vaults of the transept are covered by slightly inclined pyramid roofs ind be acquiring the gabled roofs of the nave. From the apex of the middle pyramid roof protrudes a hexagonal in plan stone lantern, which is covered by a slightly inclined hexagonal pyramid roof. In each of the six side walls each two slender round-arched openings are cut out by the incident daylight over a oculus in the top line in the crossing. From the roof over the south transept stands near the southwest corner out a small round tower, which is covered by a hemispherical helmet made of metal. It allows access to the roof via a spiral staircase. About the northwest corner of the northern Querhausarms protrudes a hexagonal in plan bell tower, the walls of which six round-arched sound hatches are recessed. Two of the six sides are flush with the surface on the north and west walls of the Querhausarms. An onion-like hexagonal shaped metal helmet covers the tower.

On the east wall of the transept occurs below the large tracery window shows the rectangular mounting the Chorjochs which is covered by a shed roof. On the east wall of the slightly narrower choir is grown on a rectangular plan, joins onto half a hexagon. It is covered by a gable roof which is followed by a half- pyramid roof. Similar to the choir are shaped the buildings of the outer bands, but much smaller. In the remaining two sections between choir bay and the outer chapels significantly smaller chapels are inserted, which are covered with pitch roofs.

Court of Louis XIV / work yard

The north of the cloister -scale Convention tract and the tract of the lay brothers are at right angles and enclose half a large almost rectangular open space, which are believed to have been originally supplemented by the creek and its enclosure walls, perhaps by wooden sheds and stables. Probably in the 17-18. Century has these northern and eastern rim replaced by the received today two-storey stone building.

The farm was then Cour Louis XIV ( Louis XIV 1638-1715 ) called. His name is in any case also Cour de travail ( work yard ), which indicates its probably already original task. In particular, the lay brothers have their work done in the open, used as the basis for the diet of the monks cultivated gardens, small livestock reared and slaughtered, and others.

Today's closed development of the north and east side of the courtyard were obviously workshops of craft talented brethren, such as tailors, carpenters, blacksmiths, bakers, gardeners, and others, as well as Müller. It is known that there was a water mill on the stream that has driven this.

Not far from the north-west corner of the courtyard is a square bordered with blocks of stone floor opening that is surrounded by an ornate metal railing. This fountain is fed by a spring that was known for particularly cool and fresh water even before the establishment of the monastery. This source should have been used for naming the abbey. The name derives from the Latin Fontfroide " fons frigidus " = cold, fresh source.

Rose Garden

The fenced-in area to the south of the abbey was for many centuries the cemetery. The religious and lay brothers were buried in front of the apse of the abbey church. Since the 12th century it has stacked here over two thousand tombs partly over each other. There used to in the West yet another site, which was separated by a wall, on which only the laity were buried, usually rich benefactor of the monastic community. This cemetery was 1668/69, given up and freed in the 18th century remains of the burials. In the 19th century it has buried the last Cistercian their old cemetery in the east of the church.

In the early years of the 20th century has transformed the wasteland of the dissolved cemetery to the Rose Garden. In 1986, the cultures were largely destroyed by criminal acts of arson. In 1989, the Rose Garden was replanted and maintained until today. In total, there are approximately 2,500 roses in eleven different colors.

Slightly older the land Saint -Fiacre, a fragrant garden, which combines all types of old English roses with fragrant plants of the maquis.

Various works of art

Fontfroide Abbey, Abbey Church, statue of Mary

Abbey Fontfroide, stained glass from 1913

Fontfroide Abbey, St. Roch

Abbey Fontfroide, relief with two faces

Abbey Fontfroide, relief, Mitra one Abts

Abbey Fontfroide, coat of arms Relief 1640

Leopold Janauschek Order of Saint Benedict Grandselve Abbey Clairvaux Abbey Romanesque art Arcade (architecture) Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona Pantheon (gods) Zealotry Pope Benedict XII Rosengarten Pontigny Abbey Morimond Abbey Calefactory Bargeboard Macchia (disambiguation)

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