Chézery-Forens

The village of Chézery was built around the Cistercian abbey founded in 1140 by monks from Fontenay, in Burgundy. All that remains of the old abbey is the guesthouse which once provided shelter to pilgrims (now the Relais des Moines) and the parish church. The parish church was attached to the monastic church, which testimony from the time describes as being “big and beautiful”, with a nave with three aisles and six bays and a spire over the crossing of the transept. This closed off the cloister which, on the three remaining sides, served the abbot’s housing.
Opposite the conventual church was a mill, a forge, a bread oven, a garden, a reserve with carp, an infirmary, and more... In total, it is said that the whole structure had more windows than there are days in the year!