Pope eugenias the third came to consecrate the abbey church. Among the numerous cardinals and bishops and abbots at the service whose bell now of one of the most influential churchmen of the twelfth century. He was born of landed aristocracy but at the age of twenty two radically changed his life. In april eleven hundred twelve accompanied by some thirty friends and relations he entered the Cistercian Community at sea to. The new cistercian orders were reforming lastic life seeking a return to simple christian values that are not responded to the reformist call with enthusiasm. Lesa station movement spread fast new ministry sprang up in the forests of burgundy fronts and germany. The cistercians disapproved of the benedictine elite at cluny the power lust of the clergy in rome and the growing opium and civic his couple churches instead they called for austerity and toil they cleared woodland for example and regulated the flow of rivers one new ministry after another appeared on the map. There now as abbot of supervised personally the construction of Fontenay Abbey which now stands as a monument to his ideas of what a monastery should look like. Monks who pass through this gate enter the world of strict regulations and hard physical labor. The bell calling the monks to morning plan to land a summons repeated seven times a day. Just. All those who joined bell now as monks came from paris to critique families no peasants sons no urban poor were accepted into the community commoners were admitted only as lay brethren to help the monks perform heavy manual tasks later the monastery also. And knowing to day laborers. The monks make their own bread and even made their own tools they were for their time outstanding craftsmen and engineers the ministry was selfsufficient the cistercians did not want to be dependent on the outside world. Third floor. The monastery was built with large workrooms. There was only one heated room where the monks could seek warmth in winter this is where precious manuscripts were camped copying books was one of the principal tasks for brandon who could read and write. The cloisters the sacred central quadrangle a symbol of divine order and closed by was open to heaven. Hey when the monks had finished their days work they could withdraw here to be alone with god. The. Karen the the. I am. Harry. The. Through a large round arch in the Eastern Cloister the monks entered the chapter house the Assembly Room above the stout romanesque pillars is the dormitory where all the monks slept. In the chapter house the monks were released from their vows silence this is where issues and developments affecting the monastery were discussed first a monk would read the legend of a saint or a section of the book of rules then the abbot would comment on the reading and its you practical instructions for work assignments next came the monks confession in a loud voice they acknowledged their sins and faults and the abbot decided what form of penance or punishment was required on sundays and religious holidays les brethren were also admitted to the assembly but they had to leave before the monks confession. In its simplicity of line the abbey church of foam to name appeared to my eyes as the ideas of scent bene unlike most cistercian churches it was built with only one story and large arcades. The church is sixty six meters long and seventeen meters high and nestles discreetly among the other Ministry Buildings but inside its uniqueness becomes apparent the was. The. The chancellor square like the cloisters and brightly lit by six windows. The old to inbound os time was probably a simple table was. Was the sculpted figures on the wall behind were added after his death was. The. Down that refused to allow any images in his ministries the only exception was mary the mother of god. When the sun shines the yellow stone baits the church in a mystical light. A narrow staircase leads to the monks dormitory. They slept in their clothes their hoods pulled over their heads the beds were hard consisting of a thin layer of straw on the floor a sheet a woman blanket and a pillow with the only concession to comfort the sleeping places were separated by low walls. Fontenay did not enjoy a long and happy existence as an abbey during the hundred years war between england and france in the fourteenth century it was sacked and plundered many times later in the baroque period the monks increasingly came to resemble those they had once despised they accumulated wealth acquired feudal rights to villages and large areas of land and ruthlessly exploited the peasants the boundaries of the monastery extended further and further outwards. Rebellious peasants raided the monks granary but when the abbot sort protection from the french king they moved out of the fire into the frying pan now their property was plundered by the crown so few tears were shed when the abbey was expropriated during the french revolution that was in seventy ninety later a paper mill was set up on the site the abbey looked like falling into total decay but then fortune smiled once again the property was bought by a banking family from leone who set about rebuilding and restoring fontenay to its original state. It was no longer the time for a major religious movement but the new owners did succeed in creating the perfect replica of the cistercian abbey. The buildings also stand as a reminder of one of the great figures of Medieval Europe sent them out of town to a charismatic leader who shaped his world according to his own ideas. At fontenay those ideas i presume immortalized in stone. Slips. By. The british. Shop. The superhero gentleman in the. Special edition and. Things for next. Year. We. Know. This is. The worlds best known christmas carol. But where does it come from tracing the origin of silent night the romans in sixty minutes t. W. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression. The right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference. And to seek receive and include information and ideas. Regardless of plenty of school posts the seventieth anniversary of the un declaration of human rights article nineteen falls on g. W. You. Think. You know this but you five minutes four minutes. Past the hour and a beauty. Pageant all. The feats in the pantheon of the great tennis certainly hes one for the ages and. The. Skull top ten are for the ages starts december twenty second on t. W. 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