Fontfroide Abbey, Narbonne, France

Fontfroide is a former Cistercian monastery in France, situated 15 kilometers south-west of Narbonne. It was founded in 1093 by the Viscount of Narbonne, but remained poor and obscure until in 1144 it affiliated itself to the Cistercian reform movement. Shortly afterwards the Count of Barcelona gave it the land in Spain that was to form the great Catalan monastery of Poblet, of which Fontfroide counts as the mother house, and in 1157 the Viscountess Ermengard of Narbonne granted it a great quantity of land locally, thus securing its wealth and status. The abbey fought together with Pope Innocent III against the heretical doctrine of the Cathars who lived in the region.

The abbey was dissolved in 1791 in the course of the French Revolution. It was re-founded in 1858 by monks from Sénanque Abbey. The community was driven out of France by French legal changes in 1901. The premises, which are of very great architectural interest, passed into private hands in 1908, when the artists Gustave and Madeleine Fayet d'Andoque bought it to protect the fabric of the buildings from an American collector of sculpture. They restored it over a number of years and used it as a centre for artistic projects.

It still remains in private hands. Today wine is produced here under the French appellations system. It also has a small working farm, bookstore and restaurant and takes paying guests.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

john hodge (4 years ago)
A working abbey that produces a range of wines. The grounds are open all year and they are extensive. Allow around 2 hours or more for a good walk to see the stunning scenery in the area. Out of the main holiday season is best. The abbey itself has a web site for to check the best opening hours to suit you. The wine shop is also open all year. Our personal favourite is the chadonnay - but with tasting available you can choose your own. Prices, for a very good wine, are very reasonable. The small range of liqueors is eqally good. There is a pretty good cafe - not always open - again chec web the site. The food is reasonable for what you pay, but nothing to to make it worth a detour.

Pamela Kim Dobbie (4 years ago)
Lovely site a me lovely walks around the grounds. Good for a day out

Seza Mekhdjian (5 years ago)
Absolutely worth a visit. The tablet is a useful guide as you explore and discover the Abbey.

Lucas Herrmann (5 years ago)
We recommend doing a wine tasting here (for free, 30 mins, 3 wines). And then take the self guided tour. The place is outstanding beautiful and for me as a white wine drinker it’s so far the only red wine in southern France that I really enjoyed. The medieval architecture is simply outstanding and beyond words!

Legault C. (5 years ago)
A lovely place, a must see if you are in the area. Went to lunch at the restaurant here, and although the food was lovely, it did take some time, so keep that in mind if you are eating here. In addition, I was here in off season, and still made a reservation for lunch, as it was busy still. But, definitely visit the Abbey if you can, truly beautiful. Make sure to climb to the observatory to see it all.

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