1,000 cheeses to fill monastery walls in Citeaux

The monks of Citeaux want to contribute to the restoration of one of their most important monastery buildings with Reblochon cheese. At least 1,000 pieces of 620 grams each are to be sold online by 6 April, according to French regional newspapers. "1,000 cheeses, that's the price of the stones for one buttress of the building," Brother Benôit, responsible for the sale of the special edition, is quoted as saying. The milk comes from around 100 cows that graze on regional land belonging to the mother abbey of the Cistercian order.

Specifically, this involves the so-called Definitorium of Citeaux. This elongated, badly damaged wing of the 17th century building once housed the government of the Cistercian order, so to speak. It was from here that the rules of the order's hundreds of daughter monasteries in Europe were defined.

According to reports, the cost of the restoration is estimated at around 15 million euros. According to the report, the French state, region and department will cover a large part of the costs. In 2022, two dozen renowned wineries had already donated large bottles and special cuvées, which were auctioned internationally by Sotheby's auction house.

Top location

The village of Saint-Nicolas-lès-Citeaux, where the monastery was founded in 1098 as the nucleus of the Cistercian order, is located around ten kilometres from the vineyards of the Côte d'Or. The Eberbach Abbey vineyard, which was founded in 1136 and dates back to the very early days of the Cistercians, was also involved in the benefit auction in 2022.

During the French Revolution, the Citeaux monastery was dissolved and the buildings razed to the ground. In 1898, the Trappists, a reformed form of Cistercianism, reacquired the monastery and brought monastic life back to the site. Today, around 30 monks live in Citeaux. In addition to prayer, they also dedicate themselves to livestock farming and cheese production. (KNA)