In 1146, twelve Cistercian monks and three lay brothers from Clairvaux came to Villers in order to establish the abbey on land granted to them by Gauthier de Marbais.

Contemporary accounts suggest that roughly 100 monks and 300 lay brothers resided within its walls,[1] although this is possibly an exaggeration.

The lands attached to the abbey also expanded considerably, reaching some 100 km2 (39 sq mi) of woods, fields, and pasturage.

Since 1992, the site has been maintained by the Association pour la Promotion Touristique et Culturelle de Villers (APTCV).

The abbey now hosts an annual choir festival La Nuit des Chœurs in which a number of choirs sing a variety of music—classical through to gospel, jazz and pop arrangements—from different parts of the grounds over successive nights, culminating in a fireworks display and centre stage concert.