Talk:Cîteaux Abbey

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I don't know what the following was taken from. Before reinserting it totally or parts of it, we at least need a date.

A cross (A), planted on the high road, directs travellers to the gate of the monastery. reached by an avenue of trees. On one side of the gate-house (B) is a long building (C), probably the almonry, with a dormitory above for the lower class of guests. On the other side is a chapel (D). As soon as the porter heard a stranger knock at the gate, he rose, saying, Deo gratias, the opportunity for the exercise of hospitality being regarded as a cause for thankfulness. On opening the door he welcomed the new arrival with a blessing --Benedicite. He fell on his knees before him, and then went to inform the abbot. However important the abbot's occupations might be, he at once hastened to receive him whom heaven had sent. He also threw himself at his guest's feet, and conducted him to the chapel (D) purposely built close to the gate. After a short prayer, the abbot committed the guest to the care of the brother hospitaller, whose duty it was to provide for his wants and conduct the beast on which he might be riding to the stable (F), built adjacent to the inner gatehouse (E). This inner gate conducted into the base court (T), round which were placed the barns, stables, cow-sheds, &c. On the eastern side stood the dormitory of the lay brothers, fratres conversi (G), detached from the cloister, with cellars and storehouses below. At H, also outside the monastic buildings proper, was the abbot's house, and annexed to it the guest-house. For these buildings there was a separate door of entrance into the church (S). The large cloister, with its surrounding arcades, is seen at V. On the south end projects the refectory (K), with its kitchen at I, accessible from the base court. The long gabled building on the east side of the cloister contained on the ground floor the chapter-house and calefactory, with the monks' dormitory above (M), communicating with the south transept of the church. At L was the staircase to the dormitory. The small cloister is at W, where were the carols or cells of the scribes, with the library (P) over, reached by a turret staircase. At R we see a portion of the infirmary. The whole precinct is surrounded by a strong buttressed wall (XXX), pierced with arches,

Bird's-eye view of Citeaux abbey

A. Cross. B. Gate-house. C. Almonry. D. Chapel. E. Inner gate-house. F. Stable. G. Dormitory of lay brethren. H. Abbot's house. I. Kitchen. K. Refectory. L. Staircase to dormitory. M. Dormitory. N. Church. P. Library. R. Infirmary. S. Door to the church for the lay brothers. T. Base court. V. Great cloister. W. Small cloister. X. Boundary wall.

through which streams of water are introduced. It will be noticed that the choir of the church is short, and has a square end instead of the usual apse. The tower, in accordance with the Cistercian rule, is very low. The windows throughout accord with the studied simplicity of the order.

bad translation

The following needs serious revision:

"... a former abbot of Cîteaux is purported to have said, "Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius" (Kill them all. God will know his own)."

The phrase is justly famous, but the Latin here only reads: "For the Lord knows which ones are his." So: "God knows / will know his own" is fine, but there is nothing corresponding to "Kill them all". —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.112.76.135 (talk) 20:31, 22 April 2009 (UTC)

1898 re-establishment

Melchior2006, did you have a reason for deleting the bit about the re-establishment of the monastery in 1898? Just curious. Eric ^talk 21:12, 6 October 2024 (UTC)

There must be some misunderstanding: "Trappist monks returned to re-establish a monastery at the abbey in 1898." Is what I had. I will, however, change it a little b/c it is a clumsy formulation. But I never took the point out. -- Melchior2006 (talk) 21:49, 6 October 2024 (UTC)

Okay, I probably missed something. I still think it could use a little reworking, but I'm not at my desk much at the moment, so may revisit later. Eric ^talk 23:01, 11 October 2024 (UTC)