A major seat of Christianity in the West, after a troubled start, Cîteaux abbey enjoyed a golden era thanks to the impetus of the future Saint Bernard, who made it a spiritual school. Harshly dealt with during the Revolution, all that remains of the abbey today are its library (1509), laid out on two levels, the Definitorium (1699), where the board of the General Chapter met, and a fine edifice (1722), attributed to Nicolas Lenoir, where the monks lived. The new church was inaugurated in 1998.