Hauterive Abbey

[1] The land for the abbey was donated between 1132-1137 by Baron Guillaume de Glâne (died in 1143, his grave is in the church).

With support from the local nobility and the Bishop of Lausanne, the abbey flourished both economically and culturally in the 12th and early 13th centuries.

The abbey was supported by nine villages, in the alpine foothills (dairy industry), the Swiss plateau (agriculture) and Lake Geneva (wine).

In the 14th century, the number of lay brothers decreased and the abbey was forced to lease out the farms.

Under Abbot Jean Philibert (1472–88) the extensive late gothic choir stalls were added.

In 1418 Pope Martin V, during his trip through Switzerland to the Council of Constance, granted abbot Peter Affry (1404–49) and his successors the pontifical vestments.

The baroque reconstruction of the convent building began in 1715 under Abbot Henri de Fivaz (1715–42) and was completed in 1770 under Bernhard Emmanuel of Lenzburg (1761–95).

These second flourishing of the abbey stopped in 1798 when they had to pay a war indemnity, after the French invasion, and lost the right to self-rule.

The archive and library, including the largest collection of medieval manuscripts in western Switzerland were transferred to Fribourg.