The Founding of Cîteaux Abbey and the Birth of the Cistercian Order (1098)

In 1098, a group of monks from the Cluniac Abbey of Molesme, dissatisfied with the worldly entanglements of Cluniac monasticism, founded Cîteaux Abbey in Burgundy, near Dijon. Their goal was to return to a stricter, more austere interpretation of the Rule of St. Benedict, rejecting the growing wealth and ceremonial grandeur of Cluny in favor of simplicity, poverty, and manual labor.

Key Founders and Leadership

• Robert of Molesme – The first abbot of Cîteaux, he led the group of reformist monks in breaking away from Molesme Abbey.
• Alberic – Robert’s successor, who further developed the new order.
• Saint Stephen Harding – The third abbot, responsible for writing the Carta Caritatis and formalizing the structure of the Cistercian Order.

The Carta Caritatis and the Structure of the Cistercian Order

• The Carta Caritatis ("Charter of Love") became the founding document of the Cistercian Order.
• It laid out a system of centralized governance, where all Cistercian abbeys remained united under a common rule, yet with some degree of local autonomy.
• Unlike the Cluniacs, who emphasized large-scale liturgical devotion, the Cistercians focused on:
  • Literal observance of the Rule of St. Benedict.
  • Seclusion from feudal society and avoidance of secular responsibilities.
  • Simplicity in architecture and daily life, rejecting the elaborate decorations of Cluny.
  • Manual labor, especially agriculture, which became a hallmark of Cistercian economic self-sufficiency.

A Return to Monastic Simplicity

• The Cistercians sought to model themselves after the Desert Fathers, living a life of contemplation, strict discipline, and hard labor.
• Their monasteries were built in remote, isolated locations, emphasizing withdrawal from the world.
• The movement would later attract Bernard of Clairvaux (1115), who expanded the order and increased its influence across Europe.

Significance and Influence

• Cîteaux Abbey became the center of the Cistercian reform movement, which spread rapidly across France, England, and the Holy Roman Empire.
• The Cistercians played a major role in medieval agriculture, introducing new farming techniques and land management strategies.
• Their emphasis on strict observance and poverty inspired other monastic reforms and influenced later religious movements.

The foundation of Cîteaux Abbey in 1098 marked one of the most important monastic reforms of the Middle Ages, laying the groundwork for the rise of the Cistercian Order, which would challenge Cluniac dominance and redefine monastic life in medieval Europe.