Morimond Abbey is a religious complex inParnoy-en-Bassigny,Haute-Marne department, in theChampagne-Ardenne region ofFrance. It was the fourth of thefour great daughter abbeys ofCîteaux Abbey, of primary importance in the spread of theCistercian Order, along withLa Ferté to the south,Pontigny to the west andClairvaux to the north.

Situated in thediocese of Langres, Morimond was founded in 1115 by Count Odelric of Aigremont and his wife Adeline of Choiseul and settled from Citeaux. The first abbot, known as a "pillar of the Cistercians", was Arnold the German. Thanks to his energy and influence, Morimond grew very rapidly, and established numerous colonies in France,Germany,Poland,Bohemia,Spain, andCyprus. These included:

• Dore Abbey in England (1147)
• Ebrach Abbey in Germany (1126)
• Heiligenkreuz Abbey inAustria (1134)
• Aiguebelle Abbey in France (1137)
• Jędrzejów Abbey in Poland (c. 1140)[1]^[2]
• Sulejów Abbey in Poland (1176)^[1]
• Wąchock Abbey in Poland (1179)^[1]
• Koprzywnica Abbey in Poland (1185)^[1]

Over the next two centuries Morimond continued to be active in the foundation of new Cistercian houses, so much so that towards the end of the 18th century, Morimond counted amongst its filiations nearly seven hundred monasteries and nunneries.

Briefs from various popes placed the principalMilitary Orders of Spain under the spiritual jurisdiction of the Abbot of Morimond: theOrder of Calatrava (1187); theOrder of Alcantara (1214); theOrder of Christ in Portugal (1319), and later on, those of theOrders of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus inSavoy.

The name "Morimond" is from theLatin"mori mundo", or "Die to the world": all who entered these Cistercian abbeys in the 12th century renounced worldly life. One of the famous men who passed through Morimond wasOtto of Freising, son of MargraveLeopold III of Austria and his spouse Agnes, daughter of EmperorHenry IV. He studied inParis and then entered the abbey, of which he became abbot.Pope Benedict XII, third of theAvignon popes (1334–1342), also began his career as a monk in Morimond.

The cruciform abbey church with three aisles and closedchoir, the sides of which are occupied by chapels linked by a gangway, was built to be restrained and severe, according to the Cistercian building prescriptions, without towers or artistic adornment. In 1572, during theWars of Religion, and again in 1636 in theThirty Years' War, Morimond was destroyed; it was abandoned in 1791 in theFrench Revolution. Only the church survived, but fell into ruin during the 19th century.

Today, of the medieval structures, only a fragment of the north aisle is still standing, although there remain from the 18th century the gateway, the library and some pavilions and arcades.

  This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Abbey of Morimond".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

Abbey Saint-Symphorien de Metz

48°3′26″N5°40′22″E / 48.05722°N 5.67278°E /48.05722; 5.67278