Auberive Abbey

Auberive Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery in the Haute-Marne department of north-eastern France, set inside the Parc national de forêts. Founded in the twelfth century, it now combines a well-preserved medieval monastic layout with one of the country's more unusual contemporary art venues.

How was the abbey founded?

Twelve Cistercian monks from Clairvaux settled at Auberive in 1135 to establish a daughter house following the reform associated with Saint Bernard. Like most Cistercian foundations, the site was chosen for its secluded river valley, which gave the community full control over its water supply. The resulting complex follows the order's standard "Bernardine" plan: a church with a flat east-facing chevet, an east range for the choir monks, a west range for the lay brothers, and a north range used for shared communal functions.

What did the monks do with the river?

The monks diverted the Aube river along roughly a kilometre of its course, building a network of channels that brought clean water into the abbey and carried waste water back out. A further channel powered the mill, allowing the community to run an almost entirely self-sufficient economy centred on manual labour and prayer, in keeping with Cistercian practice.

What is there to see in the gardens and orchards?

A garden runs along the bank of the Aube in front of the monastic buildings, framed by an ornamental wrought-iron gate made by Jean Lamour. The orchards open to visitors today date only from the mid-twentieth century, when a religious community returned to live on the site. They now contain around forty varieties of apple, pear and plum trees, including a local apple known as the pomme d'Auberive, and function as a conservation orchard for old regional fruit varieties that have otherwise largely disappeared from cultivation.

Why is the abbey known for contemporary art?

Since 2006 the west wing of the former monastery has housed a contemporary art centre built around a private collection assembled by Jean-Claude Volot and his wife. It ranks among the largest private collections of expressionist art in France, spanning painters and sculptors from Paul Rebeyrolle to Jean Rustin alongside works of art brut and outsider art. A themed temporary exhibition drawn from the collection runs every year from June to September, showing paintings, sculpture, drawing, photography and video. Beyond the exhibitions, the abbey operates as a year-round cultural venue, hosting classical and world-music concerts, theatre performances, talks, readings and artist residencies.

What is the abbey's heritage status today?

The Auberive complex is a listed historic monument and ranks among the major surviving sites of Cistercian heritage in the Champagne region. Its location inside the Parc national de forêts also makes it a convenient starting point for walks through the surrounding woodland.

Frequently asked questions

When was Auberive Abbey founded? It was founded in 1135, when twelve Cistercian monks arrived from the abbey of Clairvaux.

What can visitors see on site? The Bernardine-plan monastic buildings, the historic water-channel system, a riverside garden with Jean Lamour's wrought-iron gate, and an orchard preserving old fruit varieties.

What is the contemporary art centre at Auberive? A venue open since 2006 in the abbey's west wing, showing the Volot family's private collection of expressionist and art brut works.

Where is Auberive located? In the Haute-Marne department of the Grand Est region, within the Parc national de forêts.