Abbaye de Reigny

The abbey was founded in 1104 at Fontemoy as a hermitage, or small priory, by the knight Anseric of Avallon and Gui of Noyers. it grew quickly and in 1128 was accepted into the Cistercian Order as a daughter house of Clairvaux Abbey. The first abbot was Stephen of Toucy, a monk of Clairvaux. In 1134 the monastery was moved to the present site on the right bank of the river Cure, a gift to the community from William II, Count of Auxerre and Nevers. In 1147 it was granted papal protection by Pope Eugene II. The abbey continued to thrive and at its peak numbered up to 300 monks. The generosity of the local nobility provided it with sufficient estates to maintain this large population and engage in active trade with its surplus produce. In 1370 King Charles V of France granted it royal protection, and in 1493 Charles VIII made it a fondation royale. It suffered severely however both during the Hundred Years' War and in the French Wars of Religion. In 1582 the Huguenots destroyed most of it by fire, including the church.

The monastic buildings were rebuilt during the 17th-18th centuries. The new church was completed in 1759–1765; the work is often attributed to Claude-Nicolas Ledoux but according to the French Mini …