Vaux-de-Cernay Abbey

Daughter monasteries

Monastery Le Breuil -Benoît

The monastery of Les Vaux -de- Cernay is a former Cistercian abbey in France. It is located in the municipality Cernay- la -Ville in the department of Yvelines, Île- de -France, about 12 km northeast of Rambouillet in the Chevreuse valley, once on the border between the dioceses of Paris and Chartres.

History

The in 1118 founded by Simon de Neauphle -le- Château and his wife Eve monastery belonged to the Congregation of Savigny. The construction was under the protection of King Louis VII. Monastery joined with the Congregation of Savigny in 1147 the Cistercian order and assumed the filiation of Clairvaux Abbey Primary. The monastery had two subsidiaries were founded: Monastery Le Breuil- Benoît and the nunnery Le Trésor. It also took over the spiritual oversight of the nearby convent of Port Royal des Champs (originally Porrois ), a direct foundation of the monastery of Citeaux. The monastery had, inter alia, Gran Gien in Marly and Tremblay- sur- Mauldre, It also had a town house in Paris near the Place des Vosges. Sixth Guy was abbot of Vaux -de- Cernay, as well as Peter of Vaux -de- Cernay a preacher in the crusade against the Albigenses. From 1235 to 1247 Theobald of Marly was abbot under which the monastery reached its golden age. In the 16th century it fell into coming. Kommendataräbte were, inter alia, Henri de Bourbon de Verneuil, a bastard of King Henry IV and King John II Casimir of Poland. 1624 the first General Chapter of the Reformed Cistercians ( which later became the Trappists emerged ) was held at Vaux -de- Cernay. 1791 was one of the monastery still 12 monks; it was disbanded in the French Revolution, and partly broken.

1873 bought Baroness Charlotte de Rothschild ( 1825-1899 ), widow of the banker Nathaniel de Rothschild ( 1812-1870 ), the ruins and had carried out extensive restoration work. It transformed the investment in a country house, which remained in the possession of their descendants until 1945. 1926 and 1941 was carried out the classification as a monument historique. 1930 were conducted in the church excavations. During World War II the former monastery was first headquarters of the German and the American troops. In 1945 sold Henri James de Rothschild, grandson of Charlotte de Rothschild, the investment of the French aircraft manufacturer Félix Amiot. It now serves as Hôtellerie the luxury class.

Buildings and plant

Available are two fortified gatehouses. The church, begun in 1135 is to get ruinous. The choir was zweijochig flat chevet. Joined the transept on both sides two staggered chapels similar to Furness Abbey on. The nave had three naves to five bays. The facade (around 1180-1190 ) has a large rose window with original composition, two oculi and a pointed portal. The 1540 reconstructed cloister, which was not curved, lay to the north ( left ) of the Church. Sacristy and chapter house are replaced by a neo-Gothic building. Presence is still the great monk room ( scriptorium ), a two-aisled Gothic hall with groined vaults. The Konversentrakt in the West from the second half of the 12th century was built as a residential tract of the Baroness Rothschild.