The abbey of Cluny

The Abbey of Cluny

Founded in the 10th century by William the Pious, duke of Aquitaine and count of Mâcon and Bourges, the abbey of Cluny became in the 12th century a monastic and spiritual capital whose influence was without equal in the medieval West. In the second half of the 11th century, during the abbacy of Hugues de Semur, the abbey of Cluny reached its zenith : the prestige and power of the institution grew, many monastic buildings were extended, and a new abbey church, known as the Maior Ecclesia, was built. Although the abbey was largely demolished during the French Revolution, its vestiges testify to its monumentality and past splendour. Surrounded by a monastic town, the site of the abbey is home to several medieval structures and 17th- and 18th-century buildings, witnesses to over a thousand years of the rich history of this centre for learning, architecture, and the arts.