Vaux de Cernay Abbey, Old Ruins on a Sunny Day

Sunday was just one of those glorious days of spring that appeared suddenly out of nowhere, like a wildflower.  Warm and sunny, whereas the days before were cold and drizzly, enough for coats!

As soon as I heard that it was going to be warm, my thoughts raced towards driving out of the city to celebrate the  exuberance of nature.  Longings of being surrounded by virgin greenery that looks freshly minted by the first peaks of spring sprang forth in my mind.

I had remembered seeing some photos of the ruins of an ancient abbey called Vaux de Cernay, so I thought it would be the perfect destination to welcome spring!    I love old stones anywhere, but when they have such an impressive history and beauty as this old abbey, then they take on a mystical and magical air.

It lies about 45 kilometers south of Paris in a beautiful forest, about halfway between Chartres and Paris.  Getting there was simple enough once out of Paris; driving through typically cute well manicured French villages before entering a thick forest on tiny winding roads, where the French love to race about ignoring all speed limits like reckless children.

Since the Abbey can’t be seen from the road, the entrance can be easily overlooked.  Once through the small gated area, a narrow road leads to the park like grounds surrounding the hotel and Abbey ruins.

At first sight the ruins of the ancient church are magnificent and outstanding with its massive rose window in front.  Only one completely remaining wall exists apart from the front, but the gothic vaults and arches are truly impressive.

Vaux de Cernay Abbey was started in 1118 and became a Cistercian abbey that followed the rather austere and very strict rules for monks, that Bernard de Clairvaux had initiated with  his abbey of Citeaux in Burgundy.    The adjoining ponds and river not only provided water for use, but the ponds were used to farm fish and the stream ran the flour mill.

Within 100 years , the abbey had grown extremely prosperous, in part because of gifts from various noble families, who lived nearby and had ties to the Kings of France.  A young man named Thibault de Marly, born into a noble family, whose grandmother issued from Louis VI, entered the abbey in 1226 and so impressed his fellow monks, that he was elected abbot in 1235.

Thibault and his monks were credited for their prayerful intercession in enabling Marguerite de Provence ,who was the wife of Louis lX to become pregnant, after years of infertility. His piety and benevolence was so recognised that after his death in 1247, he was canonised and became a saint.   From that time the abbey became a place of pilgrimage due to miracles attributed to him.

By 1791 though, the abbey had lost a lot of its influence and the number of monks had dwindled from over 200 at one time.   The remaining 12 monks were ousted by the French revolutionaries, who also destroyed the tomb of Saint Thibault.  In 1873, the monastery was bought by the Rothschild banking family, for one of their private residences, adding this acquisition to their other châteaux nearby and in Paris.

In 1988, it was bought by an individual who turned the domains into a luxury romantic hotel, restaurant and tea salon.  The grounds, park and abbey ruins  are open for the enjoyment of all for a small fee.

All Cistercian abbey churches were constructed to reflect the simplicity that the monks adhered to in their daily lives.  There were no elaborate carvings, statues and architectural frills seen in the great cathedrals and village churches of the day.

The monks refectory or meeting room seen in the photo, has been turned into a dining area for Sunday bunches.  Nevertheless, the multiple gothic arches are pristinely preserved in all  their glory and beauty, inviting your imagination to go back in time.

The adjoining buildings, which originally were the monk’s dormitories  have been partially reconstructed and of course renovated throughout the years.  The grounds around the pond and surrounding the ruins were vast and dotted with a well-preserved dovecote and a surprisingly ornate meditation chapel as seen in the photo.

The energy I felt in the ruins was appropriately calm and serene, but with a touch of melancholy.  Perhaps  Saint Thibault de Marly laments from the other side, that the abbey that he nurtured into a powerful spiritual presence in his day, has its grounds and buildings  used today with the purpose and  intent of financial profit.

Profit aside, the hotel  does offer a wonderful and idyllic opportunity to experience the quietness and serene beauty of the ruins that must take on another dimension at nightfall.  The grounds still seem isolated from the rest of the world, which was exactly what the monks wanted so as to not have any interference with their spiritual practice and life.

With a little imagination, and most probably at dusk, one who is open to these mystical places,  can perhaps catch a glimpse of an old  monk in dark robes quietly walking along the flowered paths beckoned by the bells calling him to vespers and  complines.