Morimond Abbey

About

Morimond Abbey is a Cistercian abbey, now extinct, located in Parnoy-en-Bassigny, Haute-Marne department, France. Founded in 1115, it is the fourth of the first girls abbeys of Cîteaux, after La Ferté, Pontigny and Clairvaux. These five abbeys were called "primary" in the Cistercian order. Particularly fruitful, the Abbey of Morimond creates throughout Europe, but especially in Central and Eastern Europe, some thirty direct girls abbeys, and more than two hundred girls abbeys in total. Its almost destruction after the Revolution does not prevent several of its abbey-daughters from still existing today, especially in Austria and Poland.

Toponymy: The name Morimond derives from the Latin mori mundo ("death to the world"), illustrating the ideal of renunciation of the world of Cistercian monks.

Foundation: In the 11th century, Olry d'Aigremont, son of Foulques de Serqueux, married Adeline de Choiseul, daughter of Renier de Choiseul and Ermengarde de Vergy, joined in her wish to create a religious establishment. This is how an oratory is born between Damblain and Fresnoy at the place long named...