Bèze Abbey
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The Bèze Abbey (french: Abbaye Saint-Pierre, Saint-Paul de Bèze), was a monastery founded in 629 AD in Burgundy, France. It was destroyed several times during the next three centuries by Frankish warlords, Saracens, Normans and Hungarians. At the end of the 10th century the abbey was re-founded and entered a golden age for the next two centuries. By the 13th century the spiritual life of the abbey had declined and the monks were mainly concerned with temporal matters. The abbey lost most of its monks during the
Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French Crown, ...
and the
Black Death The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causi ...
of the 14th century. In 1429 it was fortified with stone walls, a moat and towers, two of which have survived. The abbey was again devastated by feuds in 1513, by the
French Wars of Religion The French Wars of Religion is the term which is used in reference to a period of civil war between French Catholic Church, Catholics and Protestantism, Protestants, commonly called Huguenots, which lasted from 1562 to 1598. According to estim ...
(1562–98) and by the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...
(1618–48). In 1662 a final revival began when the monastery came under the
Congregation of Saint Maur The Congregation of St. Maur, often known as the Maurists, were a congregation of French Benedictines, established in 1621, and known for their high level of scholarship. The congregation and its members were named after Saint Maurus (died 565), ...
. Most of the surviving buildings date from the reconstruction by this congregation in the 18th century. At the start of the
French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
in 1789 the monastery was dissolved and the property taken over by the state. It was sold, and the church and main buildings demolished so the stone could be used for building. The owners of the property added an orangerie and laid out a park in the 19th century. Today the private owners have made the grounds and buildings open for visitors for a small fee.


Foundation

The Abbey of Saint-Pierre & Saint-Paul in
Bèze Bèze () is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France. It takes its name from the Bèze river, which rises in the commune. Population See also *Communes of the Côte-d'Or department The following is a list of the 698 co ...
, Côte-d'Or, was the fourth of the
Merovingian The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from the middle of the 5th century until 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the Franks and northern Gauli ...
abbeys of the
diocese of Langres The Roman Catholic Diocese of Langres (Latin: ''Dioecesis Lingonensis''; French: ''Diocèse de Langres'') is a Roman Catholic diocese comprising the ''département'' of Haute-Marne in France. The diocese is now a suffragan in ecclesiastical p ...
, after Moûtiers-Saint-Jean, Saint-Bénigne and Saint-Seine. The abbey was founded by Amalgaire, Duke of Lower Burgundy, brother of
Waldalenus Waldalenus, or Wandalenus (late 6th – early 7th century), ''dux'' in the region between the Alps and the Jura, in the Frankish Kingdom of Burgundy, was a Frankish magnate who served as mayor of the Austrasian palace at Metz from 581, during the ...
, Duke of Upper Burgundy and father of Saint
Donatus of Besançon Donatus (d. after 658) was a bishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Besançon, Besançon, founder of the monastery Palatium (later Saint-Paul) in Besançon and author of a rule for nuns. He is venerated as a saint since the 11th century; his feast ...
. Amalgaire founded the abbey in the reign of
Chlothar II Chlothar II, sometime called "the Young" (French language, French: le Jeune), (May/June 584 – 18 October 629), was king of Neustria and king of the Franks, and the son of Chilperic I and his third wife, Fredegund. He started his reign as an in ...
(r. 613–629) in the autumn of 629. The abbey's location was called the "Fountain of Bèze", after a
karst spring A karst spring or karstic spring is a spring (outflow of groundwater) that is part of a karst hydrological system. Description Because of their often conical or inverted bowl shape, karst springs are also known in German-speaking lands as a ''Top ...
that is the source of the Bèze river. The ''Chronique de Bèze'' from the first 3rd of the 12th century, describes foundation of the abbey on an unoccupied site. The Chronicle says: Amalgaire's wife Aquilina gave him two sons and one daughter, born between 595 and 605. His son Adalric would succeed him while his son Waldelene was educated as a monk at the
Luxeuil Abbey Luxeuil Abbey (), the ''Abbaye Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul'', was one of the oldest and best-known monasteries in Burgundy, located in what is now the département of Haute-Saône in Franche-Comté, France. History Columbanus It was founded circa 5 ...
under the Rule of Saint Columbanus. His daughter Adalsinde also became a nun. Waldelene became the first abbot at Bèze. Amalgaire also founded a monastery at
Bregille Bregille () is a district of the French city of Besançon, located on the right bank of the Doubs, south-east of the historic center. It has developed on the eponymous hill Bregille which culminates at 458 meters, almost 200 meters above the river l ...
on the right bank of the
Doubs Doubs (, ; ; frp, Dubs) is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in Eastern France. Named after the river Doubs, it had a population of 543,974 in 2019.Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Chambertin-Clos de Bèze is an ''Appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (AOC) and Grand Cru vineyard for red wine in the Côte de Nuits subregion of Burgundy, with Pinot noir as the main grape variety. Chambertin-Clos de Bèze is located within the co ...
red Burgundy wine.


Merovingian period (629–714)

The monks of Bèze followed the Rule of Saint Columbanus, which Waldalène brought from
Luxeuil Abbey Luxeuil Abbey (), the ''Abbaye Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul'', was one of the oldest and best-known monasteries in Burgundy, located in what is now the département of Haute-Saône in Franche-Comté, France. History Columbanus It was founded circa 5 ...
. The first buildings were a rectangular stone structure surrounded by wood and earth outbuildings with thatched roofs. After the death of Amalgaire around 655 civil war raged in Burgundy and the country was ravaged by rival bands of
Neustria Neustria was the western part of the Kingdom of the Franks. Neustria included the land between the Loire and the Silva Carbonaria, approximately the north of present-day France, with Paris, Orléans, Tours, Soissons as its main cities. It later ...
n and
Austrasia Austrasia was a territory which formed the north-eastern section of the Merovingian Kingdom of the Franks during the 6th to 8th centuries. It was centred on the Meuse, Middle Rhine and the Moselle rivers, and was the original territory of the F ...
n Franks. The reign of
Chlothar III Chlothar III (or ''Chlotar'', ''Clothar'', ''Clotaire'', ''Chlotochar'', or ''Hlothar'', giving rise to the name Lothair; 652–673) was the eldest son of Clovis II, king of Neustria and Burgundy, and his queen Balthild. When Clovis died in 657, C ...
(r. 657–673), son of
Clovis II Clovis II (633 – 657) was King of Neustria and Burgundy, having succeeded his father Dagobert I in 639. His brother Sigebert III had been King of Austrasia since 634. He was initially under the regency of his mother Nanthild until her deat ...
(r. 639–657), had just started in Austrasia in late 657 when civil disturbances made Brégille untenable. Adalsinde and her brother Adalric begged her brother Waldelène and his monks to give her and her nuns refuge in Bèze, and in return transferred to him the priests of Saint Martin. Bèze was also ruined, its property titles destroyed and its monks scattered. When peace was restored Waldalene made haste to repair the losses of his monastery. To proceed faster he used credit from the new
Duke of Burgundy Duke of Burgundy (french: duc de Bourgogne) was a title used by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, from its establishment in 843 to its annexation by France in 1477, and later by Holy Roman Emperors and Kings of Spain from the House of Habsburg ...
, Sichelm. A diploma was issued by Chlothar III in 658 or 664 that confirmed the donations made by Amalgaire. Duke Adalric lost his duchy some time between 658 and 664. The king entrusted the lord Gengoul with the protection of the abbey. The duke, or his son
Adalrich, Duke of Alsace Adalrich ( la, Adalricus; reconstructed Frankish: ''*Adalrik''; died after 683 AD), also known as Eticho, was the Duke of Alsace, the founder of the family of the Etichonids and of the Habsburg, and an important and influential figure in the powe ...
, was restored to possession of the monastery of Bèze by the royal precept of 665. Adalric abused his authority to ransack the abbey. Later Adalric deserted King
Theuderic III Theuderic III (or Theuderich, Theoderic, or Theodoric; french: Thierry) (c. 651–691) was the king of Neustria (including Burgundy) on two occasions (673 and 675–691) and king of Austrasia from 679 to his death in 691. Thus, he was the king of ...
of Neustria (r. 673–691) and joined his enemies, who chose
Dagobert II Dagobert II ( la, Dagober(c)tus; ang, Dægberht; died 679) was a Merovingian king of the Franks, ruling in Austrasia from 675 or 676 until his death. He is one of the more obscure Merovingians. He has been considered a martyr since at least the ni ...
(r. 676–679) as King of Austrasia. The war between Theuderic of Neustria and Dagobert of Austrasia once more devastated Bèze. Waldalène had to rebuild the abbey from ruins. In 676 Theuderic, now victorious, gave Waldalène all of Adalric's property. Adalric settled permanently in Alsace after the troubles of 675–676. Waldalène died in 680. The abbey flourished under the three abbots that followed, Bercand or Bercang, around 680, Ferréol around 700 and Syranne around 720.


Carolingian period (714–990)

The
Saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia Pe ...
s, who had conquered Spain in 714, crossed the Pyrennees and devastated the south of France. They penetrated up the
Rhône The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At Ar ...
, the
Saône The Saône ( , ; frp, Sona; lat, Arar) is a river in eastern France. It is a right tributary of the Rhône, rising at Vioménil in the Vosges department and joining the Rhône in Lyon, at the southern end of the Presqu'île. The name deri ...
and the
Loire The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône ...
until finally defeated by
Charles Martel Charles Martel ( – 22 October 741) was a Frankish political and military leader who, as Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace, was the de facto ruler of Francia from 718 until his death. He was a son of the Frankish statesma ...
at the
Battle of Tours The Battle of Tours, also called the Battle of Poitiers and, by Arab sources, the Battle of tiles of Martyrs ( ar, معركة بلاط الشهداء, Maʿrakat Balāṭ ash-Shuhadā'), was fought on 10 October 732, and was an important battle ...
in 732. The Saracens sacked the abbey of Bèze around 730. Dom
Jean Mabillon Dom Jean Mabillon, O.S.B., (; 23 November 1632 – 27 December 1707) was a French Benedictine monk and scholar of the Congregation of Saint Maur. He is considered the founder of the disciplines of palaeography and diplomatics. Early life Mabil ...
relates that they destroyed
Autun Autun () is a subprefecture of the Saône-et-Loire department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of central-eastern France. It was founded during the Principate era of the early Roman Empire by Emperor Augustus as Augustodunum to give a Ro ...
, pulled down the Abbey of Bèze (''monasterium Besuense''), were repulsed from
Sens Sens () is a Communes of France, commune in the Yonne Departments of France, department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France, 120 km from Paris. Sens is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture and the second city of the d ...
when they attacked it in 732, but then massacred Saint Mellin and the monks of Luxeuil Abbey. The anthropologist Gustave Lagneau( fr) considered that some of the present population of the region showed signs of Saracen descent. Between 751 and 754 King
Pepin the Short the Short (french: Pépin le Bref; – 24 September 768), also called the Younger (german: Pippin der Jüngere), was King of the Franks from 751 until his death in 768. He was the first Carolingian to become king. The younger was the son of ...
(r. 751–768) gave the abbey to his concubine, Angla or Anglais wife of Théodard, to be desecrated or dilapidated by her according to her caprice. Pepin also dismissed the bishop of Langres at this time, and replaced him by his brother Remi. After this the abbey was entrusted to the bishops of Langres, but due to the difficulties of the times it was only rebuilt under the Emperor
Louis the Pious Louis the Pious (german: Ludwig der Fromme; french: Louis le Pieux; 16 April 778 – 20 June 840), also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was King of the Franks and co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aqui ...
(r. 814–840), when Bishop Albéric restored the buildings and reintroduced discipline. Albéric was made Bishop of Langres by Louis the Pious around 820. The Chronicle of Bèze relates that Albéric was afflicted by a violent colic that made him despair of his life. An old man appeared to him in a dream and told him he would recover if he promised to reestablish the monastery. He made the promise and regained his health. Albéric gave Bèze the church of Saint Laurent in Beurey in 830. Louis the Pious visited Langres in 830 with his son Lothair and held a provincial council. This council and other synods seem to have resulted in the general reform that reestablished the common life of the canons and caused all the monasteries to restore their original rules. At Albéric's request Louis issued a charter that confirmed all the property of the abbey. Albéric repaired the church of Saint-Mammès at the abbey. Alberic died in 839 and his body was taken to Bèze on 22 December 839. On 6 October 883 Geilon, bishop of Langres, gave the abbey of Bèze the relics of Saint
Prudent de Narbonne Prudent de Narbonne ( la, Prudentius, died ) was a Christian deacon who was martyred in Narbonne in what is now France in the 3rd century. He is venerated by the Catholic Church as a saint. His relics are said to have effected various miracles. T ...
, which he had brought back from a chapel in
Narbonne Narbonne (, also , ; oc, Narbona ; la, Narbo ; Late Latin:) is a commune in France, commune in Southern France in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region. It lies from Paris in the Aude Departments of Franc ...
after his pilgrimage to
Santiago de Compostela Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of St ...
. In 887, when marauding
Normans The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Fran ...
approached the monks of Bèze transported the body of Saint Prudent to Saint-Etienne de Dijon. When the invasion was over the monks rebuilt the ruins of the abbey and asked for the saint's body from Dijon. The canons of Dijon at first refused, then at the command of Bishop Gauthier of Langres pretended to comply, but in fact gave the monks the body of Saint Silvin. Eventually the ruse was discovered, and the body of Saint Prudent was carried with great ceremony from Dijon to Bèze in 931. The abbey was destroyed twice during the
Hungarian invasions of Europe The Hungarian invasions of Europe ( hu, kalandozások, german: Ungarneinfälle) took place in the 9th and 10th centuries, the period of transition in the history of Europe in the Early Middle Ages, when the territory of the former Carolingian Em ...
. It was burned in July 936 when the Hungarians came from Burgundy, and again the next year when the Hungarians had spread through France, Burgundy and Aquitaine, plundering and ravaging everywhere. The Hungarians caused so much damage to the monastery that it could not be restored for eleven years.


Golden age (990–1200)

At the end of the 10th century Bruno de Roucy, Bishop of Langres, asked
Majolus of Cluny Majolus of Cluny (Maieul, Mayeul, Mayeule) (c. 906 – May 11, 994) was the fourth abbot of Cluny. Majolus was very active in reforming individual communities of monks and canons; first, as a personal commission, requested and authorized by the E ...
to send monks to rebuild the abbeys of the Langres diocese. Among them was
William of Volpiano Saint William of Volpiano (Italian: ''Guglielmo da Volpiano''; French: ''Guillaume de Volpiano'', also of Dijon, of Saint-Benignus, or of Fécamp; June/July 962 – 1 January 1031) was a Northern Italian monastic reformer, composer, and founding ...
, who became abbot of Saint-Bénigne at Dijon, and was also abbot of Bèze from 990 until his death in 1031. William introduced the customs of
Cluny Cluny () is a commune in the eastern French department of Saône-et-Loire, in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. It is northwest of Mâcon. The town grew up around the Benedictine Abbey of Cluny, founded by Duke William I of Aquitaine in 9 ...
to both abbeys. The
Rule of Saint Benedict The ''Rule of Saint Benedict'' ( la, Regula Sancti Benedicti) is a book of precepts written in Latin in 516 by St Benedict of Nursia ( AD 480–550) for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot. The spirit of Saint Benedict's Ru ...
is first mentioned in the Chronicle of Beze when it comes to the William, an Italian who became abbot in 990. Unlike Saint-Bénigne, the properties of the abbey were concentrated in the immediate vicinity, towards
Champlitte Champlitte is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. The inhabitants of Champlitte are known in French as the Chanitois. History During the Roman Era, Champlitte was close to two maj ...
and the
Saône The Saône ( , ; frp, Sona; lat, Arar) is a river in eastern France. It is a right tributary of the Rhône, rising at Vioménil in the Vosges department and joining the Rhône in Lyon, at the southern end of the Presqu'île. The name deri ...
. Thanks to William's reforms Bèze attracted gifts from local nobles such as the Fouvents, descendants of the counts of Atuyer, the Beaumonts and Montsaugeons towards Langres and the Beaujeus on the Saône. The property included serfs. For example, in the 11th century the abbey received the serf Arnulf and "one half of the sons or daughters of the said Arnulf" for the benefit of Sir Henri de Ferté's soul. Raoul le Blanc, Viscount of Dijon, became a monk at Saint-Bénigne, then was made grand-prior of Bèze under abbot William and played a major role in the restoration of the abbey. Raoul dedicated his immense fortune to entirely rebuilding the abbey, including executing two ossuaries in the chapel of the Virgin and replacing the remains of the old destroyed tombs. He rebuilt the church on a larger scale, and it was dedicated in 1016 or 1018 in a ceremony arranged by Lambert de Vignory, Brunon's successor as bishop in a ceremony attended by many bishops and clergy from various provinces of France. In 1018 the lord of Fouvent founded the priory of Saint-Sépulcre beside his castle, subordinate to Bèze abbey. Ulger or Olger 1, former prior of Beze, was abbot from 1031 to 1052. He died on return from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. In October 1050
Pope Leo IX Pope Leo IX (21 June 1002 – 19 April 1054), born Bruno von Egisheim-Dagsburg, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 February 1049 to his death in 1054. Leo IX is considered to be one of the most historically ...
visited Langres, where he settled a dispute between the Bèze monks and the Langres canons over tithes from one of the monks' vineyards. He said that "By the authority of the Holy Fathers who preceded me in the see of Rome, it was permitted that no church founded in honour of St Peter, the prince of the Apostles, should pay a rent of tithes to another church." This silenced the canons. In 1066 a solemn assembly of bishops, abbots and local lords was held at the abbey of Bèze to settle difference between the abbot of Saint-Benigne and the officers of Robert, Duke of Burgundy. In 1083 Ponce, lord of the Château de Beaujeu, gave the abbey a chapel built in honour of Saint Vallier with lands and various rights. Étienne de Joinville( fr) was the son and grandson of counts on his father's side, and grandson of Arnoul, count of Reynel on his mother's side. He served as a soldier before becoming a monk. He was a monk at the Priory of Saint-Oyan-de-Bar and then at Cluny, where his uncle Widon was Grand Prior. He was appointed prior at Sainte-Germaine de Bar-sur-Aube, then of Bar-sur-Seine. In 1088 he was chosen as abbot of Bèze by bishop Robert. Under the abbot Étienne de Jonvelle (c. 1088–1124) the grants multiplied, particularly in the form of restitution of churches. Humbert de Fouvent, who had been killed in the service of the Bishop of Langres around 1085–87, was buried at Bèze. His widow gave the abbey the chapel of his castle, the church of Lavoncourt and two silver ''cyphes''. In 1093 Irmuin de Seveux gave the abbey the churches of Saint-Denis and Saint-Laurent.
Pope Paschal II Pope Paschal II ( la, Paschalis II; 1050  1055 – 21 January 1118), born Ranierius, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 August 1099 to his death in 1118. A monk of the Abbey of Cluny, he was cre ...
stayed at the abbey in 1107. He was accompanied by Henry, Abbot of
Saint-Jean-d'Angély Saint-Jean-d'Angély (; Saintongeais: ''Sént-Jhan-d'Anjhéli'') is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France. The commune has its historical origins in the Abbey of Saint-Jean-d'Angély. Royal abbey Founded in the ...
. Étienne doubled the size of the abbey's domain by restitution and donations, and expanded the abbey buildings, extending the church to the river. There are still remains of an axial chapel from the early 12th century. This is all that is left of Étienne's buildings. The chapels would have extended towards the Bèze river from the apse of the church. Under Étienne's rule the number of monks grew to about 50 living in the abbey and another 50 in subordinate priories. The monk Jean (died 1120) wrote the ''Chronicon Besuense'', a history of the abbey from its foundation to the start of the 12th century. The monk Teobaudus (died 1130) wrote the ''Miracula Sancti Prudentii'', which described the miraculous cures that had been effected by the relics of Saint Prudent. The monk Raoul the Bald wrote the ''Libri Quinque Historiae'', a history of events from 900 to 1044. He famously wrote of the period, "At that time the kingdom of France was covered with a white cloak of churches." In 1198 the abbey was accidentally burned.


Feudalism, decline and ruin (1200–1662)

In 1215 the abbot Albert received a letter from Pope Innocent III on the subject of damages caused by a fire which had forced the abbot to send the monks to Cluny. In 1219 the abbey finally accepted an offer that had first been made in 1049 and sold its Clos de Bèze vineyard to the canons of Langres. Over time the rule was relaxed and the monks became more concerned with temporal than spiritual matters. In 1253 the abbot Geoffroy II was the first to hold the feudal title "Baron de Bèze". Around 1280 the abbot Girard III built a school outside the village for children who were not destined for the church. The building on the Place de Verdun still stands. The archives tell of disputes between the abbot and the bishop of Langres, disputes between the monks and the people of Bèze, disputes with the local lords, disputes over feudal dues and rights of use. In 1307 a dispute between the Bèze Abbey and some burgesses of the abbey was heard first by the Jours de Troyes, then escalated to the king's
Parlement A ''parlement'' (), under the French Ancien Régime, was a provincial appellate court of the Kingdom of France. In 1789, France had 13 parlements, the oldest and most important of which was the Parlement of Paris. While both the modern Fre ...
. The
Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French Crown, ...
began in 1337. The
Black Death The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causi ...
appeared in
Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...
, then spread throughout France in 1348–49. Some thought the world was ending, and others thought God was punishing France for her sins.
Guillaume de Chanac Guillaume de Chanac (died December 30, 1383) was a French Benedictine who became a Cardinal. He was abbot at Bèze Abbey, and then was abbot at Saint-Florent from 1354 to 1368. He was Bishop of Chartres The oldest known list of bishops of Cha ...
became abbot in 1352. He later became bishop of Chartres and a cardinal. In 1389 a complaint was lodged by 15 officers and monks of the abbey against the abbot Thiéry de Charmes concerning maladministration of the neighboring school. The award, issued by the court of Langes on the Saturday before
Pentecost Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsunday or Whitsun) is a Christianity, Christian holiday which takes place on the 50th day (the seventh Sunday) after Easter Sunday. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles in the Ne ...
, meticulously itemized the rights and duties of the abbot. These included the requirement to supply wine to the master and clerics of Bèze to drink after
vigils In Christian liturgy, a vigil is, in origin, a religious service held during the night leading to a Sunday or other feastday. The Latin term ''vigilia'', from which the word is derived meant a watch night, not necessarily in a military context, a ...
. Simon de Torcenay was abbot from 1423 until his death in 1444. He repaired the buildings and strengthened the fortifications. In 1425 he built the first forges on the Bèze. He was a "warrior monk" and fortified the abbey with walls surrounded by a moat and accessed over a drawbridge He built a second line of walls to fortify the village. Around 1428
Claus de Werve Claus or Claux de Werve ( 1380–1439) was a sculptor active at the Burgundian court under Philip the Bold between 1395 and 1439. He was probably born in the Dutch city of Haarlem around 1380. In 1396 he became the assistant to his uncle, Cla ...
made a polychromed limestone statue of the ''Virgin and Child'' for the abbey, which was installed in the Church of Saint-Martin at Bézouotte and has survived. Construction of the fortified enclosure began in 1429. The Chaux tower in the south and the Oysel tower in the north still stand, and carry the arms of Simon de Torcenay. In 1433 there was a risk of rebellion by the lords of Château-Vilain, Grancey and Vergy against the Duke of Burgundy. On 10 May 1433 the duke addressed letters patent to the monks and people of Bèze telling them to remain faithful to the king of France and refuse entry to any stranger or enemy. That year he invited the abbot Simon de Torcenay, his councilor and chamberlain, to attend a solemn ceremony of a chapter of the
Order of the Golden Fleece The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece ( es, Insigne Orden del Toisón de Oro, german: Orden vom Goldenen Vlies) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in 1430, to celebrate his marriage ...
. Bèze was devastated by the war between the
Duchy of Burgundy The Duchy of Burgundy (; la, Ducatus Burgundiae; french: Duché de Bourgogne, ) emerged in the 9th century as one of the successors of the ancient Kingdom of the Burgundians, which after its conquest in 532 had formed a constituent part of the ...
and
Franche-Comté Franche-Comté (, ; ; Frainc-Comtou: ''Fraintche-Comtè''; frp, Franche-Comtât; also german: Freigrafschaft; es, Franco Condado; all ) is a cultural and historical region of eastern France. It is composed of the modern departments of Doubs, ...
, in which the Swiss invaded in 1513. During the
French Wars of Religion The French Wars of Religion is the term which is used in reference to a period of civil war between French Catholic Church, Catholics and Protestantism, Protestants, commonly called Huguenots, which lasted from 1562 to 1598. According to estim ...
the Bishop of Langres supported
Henry IV of France Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarc ...
but Bèze was occupied by forces of the Catholic League. In 1592 there were only six monks and two novices left. With the introduction of the "''commende''" system the abbot was appointed by the king and had sole responsibility for managing the property. Abbots, living outside the abbey, kept most of the income and granted the monks the bare minimum. In 1615 the lay lord Charles de Ferrières was appointed abbot. In 1636, as a precaution, the relics of the Abbey of Bèze were deposited with the Abbey of Saint-Bénigne in Dijon. They were brought back from there 22 years later. During the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...
in 1636 the Austrian army of
Matthias Gallas Matthias Gallas, Graf von Campo und Herzog von Lucera (Count of Campo, Duke of Lucera) (Matteo Gallasso; 17 October 1588 in Trento – 25 April 1647 in Vienna) was an Austrian professional soldier during the Thirty Years' War. He distinguished hi ...
ravaged the
Vingeanne The Vingeanne is a river in France, a right tributary of the Saône, which in turn is a tributary of the Rhône. It was the scene of an important battle during the Gallic Wars. The river supplies water to the Canal entre Champagne et Bourgogne, a n ...
valley. Swedish mercenaries, nominally allies of France, destroyed what was left. The abbey was ruined, with only a few monks left, each living in a small house they had built for themselves.


Last revival (1662–1789)

In 1662 a final revival of the monastery began with the arrival of 12 monks of the Congregation of Saint-Maur. The Congregation of St Maur had been granted letters patent by
Louis XIII of France Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown ...
in 1618 to manage the reformed monasteries of France. It contained more than 180 monasteries by the end of the 17th century. The congregation enforced a return to the strict Rule of Saint Benedict. It is best known for its scholarship, including historical research, biblical studies, chronology and liturgy. The abbey was probably partially rebuilt in the 17th century. In 1731 the abbey and its revenues were transferred to the newly created Bishopric of Dijon. It was now administered by a simple "prior" rather than an abbot, and depended on the bishop for funding. The Congrégation de Saint-Maur planned a reconstruction program for the abbey, with plans that provided more southern light and air to the monks' cells. The buildings and Saint Peter and Paul church were destroyed and rebuilt from 1738, using materials from the old building. The initial plans were changed in 1769 under the direction of the architect Charles Saint-Père, who conceived a large building south of the church. It had a central section holding the refectory and the dormitory, with two wings. Of the long "monastic palace", the wings have survived but the main building, which held the cells of the monks on the first floor, has been destroyed. The buildings included an infirmary, guest rooms for distinguished visitors, a library that had 4,175 volumes according to the May 1790 inventory and apartments for the Cellerier and Sous-Cellerier, who looked after the material life of the abbey. The west wing held a large library on the second floor. A cloister gallery runs along the central north side. There is a storehouse arranged symmetrically with the west wing. The church was roughly the same as the former church, but somewhat shortened and no longer extending to the river.


Post-revolution (1789–present)

At the start of the
French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
, on 2 November 1789 the
Constituent Assembly A constituent assembly (also known as a constitutional convention, constitutional congress, or constitutional assembly) is a body assembled for the purpose of drafting or revising a constitution. Members of a constituent assembly may be elected b ...
decreed nationalization of the lands of the church and the religious houses. The monks were turned out of the abbeys and left to look after themselves. In May 1790 the municipality of Bèze made an inventory of the monks' property. The last three monks left in January 1791. The municipality acquired the storehouse to hold the town hall and the school. In August 1791 a Langres paper maker named Faitout obtained possession of the other buildings. After a failed spinning project the abbey church began to be destroyed around 1796 and the stones sold. The central part of the buildings was demolished in 1805. The former "convent house" was sold in 1804 to Frédéric Rochet, an ironmaster. The property then passed through several hands before being acquired by the Dijon industrialist Philippe Breuil in 1872, whose descendants owned the property as of 2014. The forges on the Belle Ile en Bèze operated until the end of the 19th century, when they were replaced by a hydroelectric power station, which operated until the 1960s. Sheds, stables and an
orangerie An orangery or orangerie was a room or a dedicated building on the grounds of fashionable residences of Northern Europe from the 17th to the 19th centuries where orange and other fruit trees were protected during the winter, as a very large ...
in the southwest were built after 1845 and a park laid out. The English-style park was planted with many unusual trees in the 19th century and includes a flower garden with old roses. The site has a total area of . There are two 4-level horseshoe towers from the old enclosure. The Oysel tower to the north has had its internal divisions destroyed. The Chaix tower to the west has a vaulted ground floor and 2nd and 3rd floors reached by a stairway in the thickness of the wall. Of the main structure what remains are two symmetrical buildings with basements and two floors. There is an elongated building to the east and remains of other structures including a barrel-vaulted chapel. The axial chapel survives with two pilasters and their capitals. The east and west wings of the 18th century convent building, the Chaux and Oysel towers including the washhouse, the floor of the old church and the axial chapel, facades, roofs and cellar structure were registered as ''
Monuments Historiques ''Monument historique'' () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which National Heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a coll ...
'' on 15 September 2010. The property is privately owned. Both the park and gardens are open to visitors, for a small fee.


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