Abbaye Sainte-Marie de Rieunette

Abbaye Sainte-Marie de Rieunette is a Cistercian abbey in the commune of Ladern-sur-Lauquet, in the Aude department of southern France, within what was once the diocese of Carcassonne. Tucked into the limestone hills along the Lauquet valley, it ranks among the earliest communities of Cistercian nuns founded in France, and after more than two centuries of silence, it is once again home to a living monastic community.

When was the abbey founded?

The exact origins of the monastery are unclear, but the earliest documented trace dates to 1162, when a deed of donation was made to Reine de Castillon, a widow who withdrew to Rieunette with a small group of companions to live a religious life. Before the twelfth century was over, the community had already achieved the status of an abbey and had affiliated itself with the Cistercian order.

How large did the community grow?

In 1432, Rieunette was placed under the protection of the abbots of Villelongue, and it was around this period that the abbey reached its peak, with a community of nearly forty nuns. This marked the high point of its medieval life, before a long stretch of instability set in.

What happened during the Wars of Religion?

The Wars of Religion hit the abbey hard. In 1528, the nuns abandoned the site, which was plundered on several occasions, and in 1568 the buildings were set on fire. Recovery attempts followed decades later: in 1648, Cécile de Noé was appointed abbess and tried to re-establish monastic life at Rieunette. Her efforts were cut short in 1654, when the buildings were destroyed once more, this time by landowners unwilling to return property they had acquired eighty years earlier.

Why was the abbey suppressed?

Following these losses, the community relocated to Carcassonne, where it slowly declined over the following century. In 1761, Bishop Bazin de Bezons formally suppressed the abbey, and the remaining nuns were transferred to the priory of the Bernardines of Lombez, in the Gers department. For more than two hundred years afterward, the buildings at Rieunette stood without a resident community.

When did monastic life return?

The site's fortunes changed in 1998, when a Cistercian community from the Abbey of Boulaur, also in Gers, undertook to revive Rieunette. Since then, a small community of nuns has lived there, balancing prayer with manual work and welcoming visitors throughout the year. On 8 November 2019, the abbey was formally admitted into the Congregation of Cistercians of the Immaculate Conception, marking a further step in its restoration within a wider monastic family.

What is the setting like today?

Rieunette sits in a quiet, rural corner of Ladern-sur-Lauquet, away from the busier tourist routes of the Aude, which suits the abbey's contemplative character well. Its approximate coordinates are 43.097°N, 2.402°E.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Abbey of Rieunette still active today? Yes. Since 1998 it has been home to a community of Cistercian nuns who live there according to a rhythm of prayer and work.

What religious order does the abbey belong to? Rieunette is a Cistercian abbey, one of the earliest communities of Cistercian nuns established in France. Since 2019, it has belonged to the Congregation of Cistercians of the Immaculate Conception.

Was the abbey ever abandoned? Yes. After being damaged repeatedly during the Wars of Religion and later disputes, the community was formally dissolved in 1761. The buildings only returned to monastic use in 1998.

Where exactly is the abbey located? In the commune of Ladern-sur-Lauquet, in the Aude department, in the Occitanie region of southern France.