Gaussan Abbey (french: Abbaye Notre-Dame de Gaussan) is a Benedictine monastery situated at

Bizanet Bizanet (; Languedocien: ''Bisanet'') is a commune in the Aude department in southern France. Château de Gaussan is located in the commune. Population See also * Corbières AOC * Communes of the Aude department The following is a list o ...

in the

Aude Aude (; ) is a Departments of France, department in Southern France, located in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region and named after the river Aude (river), Aude. The departmental council also calls it "Ca ...

, France.

Cistercians

The site was originally established in the 12th century by the

Cistercians The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...

as a grange of the nearby Fontfroide Abbey. Fontfroide was dissolved and its buildings and assets, including the grange at Gaussan, were sold off in 1791 during the French Revolution.

Private ownership

During the later 19th and 20th centuries the buildings were refurbished by the proprietor,

Charles Lambert de Sainte-Croix Charles Lambert de Sainte-Croix (12 November 1827 – 27 October 1889) was a French journalist and politician who was a national deputy and then an Orléanist senator during the French Third Republic. He was also a successful winemaker. Journalis ...

, who also developed the land for viticulture

Benedictines

The property was later acquired by the

Benedictines , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

and in 1994 a monastery was founded here as a priory of

Fontgombault Abbey Fontgombault Abbey, otherwise the Abbey of Notre-Dame, Fontgombault (french: Abbaye de Fontgombault; Abbaye de Notre-Dame de Fontgombault), is a Order of St. Benedict, Benedictine monastery of the Solesmes Congregation located in Fontgombault in th ...

. It became an abbey in 2004. It is part of the

Solesmes Congregation The Solesmes Congregation is an association of monasteries within the Benedictine Confederation headed by the Abbey of Solesmes. History The congregation was founded in 1837 by Pope Gregory XVI as the French Benedictine Congregation, with the then ...

of the

Benedictine Confederation The Benedictine Confederation of the Order of Saint Benedict ( la, Confœderatio Benedictina Ordinis Sancti Benedicti) is the international governing body of the Order of Saint Benedict. Origin The Benedictine Confederation is a union of monasti ...

and as such focusses on Gregorian chant and the Tridentine Mass. The monks also produce wine.

Sources

Bizanet Village website: page on Gaussan Abbey
Benedictine monasteries in France Christian organizations established in 1984 Christian monasteries in Aude 1984 establishments in France {{France-Christian-monastery-stub