ABBAYE DE PONTIGNY
Abbey of Pontigny, 121 m long with a gothic bell tower, hosting concerts, a festival, conferences and exhibitions.
A must-see when visiting the Chablis region. Pontigny Abbey is the second daughter of Cîteaux. Founded in 1114, it is the largest Cistercian abbey in the world (4,000 m² in floor space and over 121 metres in length), and dominates the valley from its Gothic bell tower. Beautifully preserved, it is now the parish church of this village built after the French Revolution. As for the adjoining estate, it's the former monastic enclosure, and only the converse dormitory has been preserved, along with part of the cloister. It was here in the 20th century that philosopher Paul Desjardins launched the "Décades de Pontigny", which brought together authors such as André Gide and François Mauriac. In short, this place steeped in history, just a stone's throw from the vineyards, is a must-see.
The association Les Amis de Pontigny organizes numerous cultural events here each year, including concerts, a festival (Les Heures musicales), conferences and exhibitions. As for the beautiful boutique, you'll find - among other things - products from monastic productions (jams, honey from the Grange de Beauvais, cakes, wines from the Angst vineyard).
Please note: the estate is currently undergoing a complete transformation. Put up for sale by the Conseil Régional de Bourgogne Franche-Comté in 2019, and sold to the Fondation François Schneider, it will soon offer a large hotel and catering facilities. The ambition is to turn these unusual premises into a genuine tourist attraction.
This establishment is also referenced as :
Elle mériterait d'être mieux mise en valeur, mais alors le flot de touriste (et de petits commerces souvenirs) risque de compromettre le plaisir de cette visite.