La Crête": a former abbey founded in 1121, 2nd daughter of the Cistercian abbey of Morimond, grand-daughter of Cîteaux. The abbey had to be completely rebuilt at the beginning of the 18th century. It therefore underwent major architectural changes.
After the French Revolution, the imposing abbey church and cloister were destroyed: all that remains are the remains opposite the gatehouse.
The porter's house (1715-1730), the point of contact with the outside world, where daily workers were paid and weekly bread distributed to the poor, is in itself a typical 18th century building and enhances the charm and serenity of the purely Cistercian site. Its size and refined architecture give an idea of the importance of the abbey.
The pretty bridge spanning the Rognon, opposite the gatehouse, dates from the 18th century (the gatehouse and bridge are listed Historic Monuments).
Badly damaged over the last fifty years, it is now being restored, and a stone bench has been installed for visitors to sit against. The rebuilt facade allows visitors to admire the clearing and the site as a whole, with the surviving buildings: the large stables, the farmhouse and the dovecote.
The book "Porterie de la Crête, un nouveau souffle" is on sale at the Maison de la Presse in Andelot, at the "A La Une" bookshop in Chaumont and at LECLERC stores in Langres and Chaumont.
Abbaye de la Crète
