Reigny Abbey

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.

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.

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.

The new church was completed in 1759–1765; the work is often attributed to Claude-Nicolas Ledoux but according to the French Ministry of Culture and Communication is by the less well-known royal architect Claude-Louis d'Aviler.