Notre Dame de Rouen. The façade of the Gothic Church in France. Photographer: Hippo1947. Licence: SHUTTERSTOCK.

Thursday, 19 September 2013

The Office of Compline In A Cistercian Abbey. Chant Grégorien De L'abbaye De Fontfroide, France. Complies Cisterciennes.


Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.


File:Abbaye de Fontfroide (Cloitre).jpg


English: The Cloisters 
at Fontfroide Abbey, France.
Français: Cloitre de Fontfroide
Photo: 23 April 2011.
Source: Own work.
Author: J-f.desvignes.
(Wikimedia Commons)


File:Abbaye de Fontfroide 30.JPG


English: Fontfroide Abbey, France.
Français: Abbaye de Fontfroide, Narbonne, Aude, 
Languedoc-Roussillon, France.
Photo: 22 September 2012.
Source: Own work.
Author: Romain Bréget.
(Wikimedia Commons)


File:Abbaye Fontfroide cloitre 03.jpeg


The Cloisters at Fontfroide Abbey, 
Languedoc, France.
Photo: 23 March 2009.
Source: Own work.
Author: Harmonia Amanda.
(Wikimedia Commons)


Fontfroide Abbey, or l'Abbaye Sainte-Marie de Fontfroide, is a former Cistercian Monastery in France, situated 15 kilometers South-West of Narbonne, near to the Spanish border.

It was founded in 1093 by the Viscount of Narbonne, but remained poor and obscure until, in 1144, it affiliated itself to the Cistercian reform movement. Shortly afterwards, the Count of Barcelona gave it the land in Spain that was to form the great Catalan Monastery of Poblet, of which Fontfroide counts as the Mother House, and, in 1157, the Viscountess Ermengarde of Narbonne granted it a great quantity of land locally, thus securing its wealth and status. The Abbey fought, together with Pope Innocent III, against the heretical doctrine of the Cathars, who lived in the region. It was dissolved in 1791 in the course of the French Revolution.


File:Abbaye Fontfroide AL 21.jpg


English: Fontfroide Abbey, France.
Français: Abbaye de Fontfroide (Narbonne).
Photo: 4 April 2010.
Source: Own work.
Author: ArnoLagrange.
(Wikimedia Commons)


File:FONTFROIDE.jpg


Fontfroide Abbey, France.
Photo: 6 September 2004.
Source: Own work.
Author: CARPEDIEM13.
(Wikimedia Commons)


It was re-founded in 1858 by Monks from Sénanque Abbey. The Community was driven out of France by French legal changes in 1901. The premises, which are of very great architectural interest, passed into private hands in 1908, when the artists, Gustave and Madeleine Fayet d'Andoque, bought it to protect the fabric of the buildings from an American collector of sculpture. They restored it over a number of years and used it as a centre for artistic projects.

It still remains in private hands. Today, wine is produced here of the AOC Corbières quality, under the French appellations system. It also has a small working farm, bookstore and restaurant and takes paying guests.




The Office of Compline 
in a Cistercian Abbey.
Chant grégorien de 
l'abbaye de Fontfroide.
Complies cisterciennes.
Available on YouTube at


File:Narbonne Abbaye Sainte-Marie de Fontfroide 14.JPG


English: Fontfroide Abbey, France.
Français: Abbaye Sainte-Marie de 
Fontfroide à Narbonne.
Photo: 11 August 2012.
Source: Own work.
(Wikimedia Commons)


File:Narbonne Abbaye Sainte-Marie de Fontfroide 8.JPG


English: Fontfroide Abbey, France.
Français: Abbaye Sainte-Marie de Fontfroide à Narbonne.
Photo: 11 August 2012.
Source: Own work.
(Wikimedia Commons)


File:Narbonne Abbaye Sainte-Marie de Fontfroide 12.JPG


English: Fontfroide Abbey, France.
Français: Abbaye Sainte-Marie de Fontfroide à Narbonne.
Photo: 11 August 2012.
Source: Own work.
(Wikimedia Commons)


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