Bonnevaux Abbey (; ) is a former

Cistercian The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, 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 Benedict, as well as the contri ...

monastery located in Lieudieu near Villeneuve-de-Marc in the

Isère Isère ( , ; ; , ) is a landlocked Departments of France, department in the southeastern French Regions of France, region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Named after the river Isère (river), Isère, it had a population of 1,271,166 in 2019.

department of

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, situated within the

Dauphiné The Dauphiné ( , , ; or ; or ), formerly known in English as Dauphiny, is a former province in southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of Isère, Drôme and Hautes-Alpes. The Dauphiné was ...

region. It is positioned 25 kilometres east of Vienne approximately 6 kilometres south-east of Saint-Jean-de-Bournay, on the northern perimeter of the ''Forêt de Bonnevaux''.

History

Bonnevaux Abbey was established in 1117 by Guy of Burgundy, also known as Guy of Vienne, who was the

Archbishop of Vienne The Archbishopric of Vienne, named after its episcopal seat in Vienne in the Isère département of southern France, was a metropolitan Roman Catholic archdiocese. It is now part of the Archdiocese of Lyon. History The legend according to wh ...

and later became

Pope Callixtus II Pope Callixtus II or Callistus II ( – 13 December 1124), born Guy of Burgundy, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from February 1119 to his death in 1124. His pontificate was shaped by the Investiture Controversy ...

. It was founded as the sixth daughter house of

Cîteaux Abbey Cîteaux Abbey ( ) is a Catholic abbey located in Saint-Nicolas-lès-Cîteaux, south of Dijon, France. It is notable for being the original house of the Order of Cistercians. Today, it belongs to the Trappists (also called the Cistercians of th ...

. The abbey attained wealth through various privileges and endowments, including a number from the Dauphin, and possessed fifteen granges in Villeneuve-de-Marc, Saint-Georges-d'Espéranche, Beaurepaire, Primarette,

Sainte-Anne-sur-Gervonde Sainte-Anne-sur-Gervonde () is a commune in the Isère department in southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Isère department The following is a list of the 512 communes in the French department of Isère. The comm ...

and

Diémoz Diémoz () is a commune in the Isère department in southeastern France. Population Twin towns — sister cities Diémoz is twinned with: * Castelnuovo Belbo, Italy (1970) See also *Communes of the Isère department The following is ...

. It founded numerous daughter houses, all in France: Mazan Abbey, Montpeyroux Abbey,

Tamié Abbey Tamié Abbey (''Abbaye de Tamié'' or ''Abbaye Notre-Dame-de-Tamié'') is a Cistercian monastery, located in the Bauges mountain range in the Savoie region of France. History The monastery was founded in 1132, as a daughter house of Bonnevaux A ...

, Léoncel Abbey,

Valmagne Abbey Valmagne Abbey () is a former Benedictine monastery located near Villeveyrac, Hérault, in south-central France. It is a designated historic monument (monument historique). Valmagne Abbey was founded as a Benedictine abbey in 1138 but only twen ...

, Sauveréal Abbey, Valbenoîte Abbey and Valcroissant Abbey. The nunneries of Laval-Bénite Abbey and Bonnecombe Abbey were also under the jurisdiction of Bonnevaux. During the 16th-century

Wars of Religion A religious war or a war of religion, sometimes also known as a holy war (), is a war and conflict which is primarily caused or justified by differences in religion and beliefs. In the modern period, there are frequent debates over the extent ...

, the abbey endured significant hardships. In 1576, it was plundered by

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...

s, resulting in the devastation of the church. The tumultuous period of the French Revolution led to the dissolution of the abbey, further looting, the igniting of fires, and ultimately, its utilization as a quarry.

Buildings and appurtenances

A painting of about 1750 shows the precinct layout, with the church and its prominent western tower to the north, and the conventual buildings to the south of it. On the site of the monastery a memorial, consisting of a cross with an inscribed tablet, was set up in 1933 by Tamié Abbey. In 1938 the foundation stones were used for the construction of the church at Villeneuve-de-Marc. Today there are no visible remains of the abbey itself; an outlying grange with three aisles survives. In 2017 the

World Community for Christian Meditation The World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM) is a registered charity founded in 1991 that promotes a form of Christian meditation developed by Benedictine monk and priest John Main, OSB. The current director of the WCCM is Fr. Laurenc ...

purchased and began to renovate the former Cistercian abbey.

Citations

* Peugniez, Bernard, nd: ''Routier cistercien'' (2nd ed., p. 445). Moisenay: Editions Gaud. * Gerin, Patrick Gerin, and Pierry, Patrick: ''Les Granges à trois nefs de l'abbaye cistercienne de Bonnevaux en Dauphiné'' (''Bulletin de la Société des amis de Vienne'', Nr. 88, fasc. 1, 1993, pp. 22–25) * Bernard, Michel, 2000: ''La Fin de l'abbaye de Bonnevaux au début de la Révolution française'' (Chroniques rivoises, n.E. 30, Nov. 2000, pp. 39–44) * Chuzel, M.F., nd: ''Histoire de l’Abbaye de Bonnevaux'' (1932 edn., reprinted 2004). Ed. Lettres de France

References

External links

Encyclopedie-Universelle de la Langue francaise: Abbaye de Bonnevaux
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonnevaux Abbey (Dauphine) Cistercian monasteries in France 1117 establishments in Europe 1110s establishments in France 18th-century disestablishments in France Buildings and structures in Isère Christian monasteries established in the 1110s Christian mantra meditation