MEDIEVAL ART AND ARCHITECTURE
ENGLAND: Fountains Abbey
Preliminary Notes
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Cistercian
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Founded December 12, 1132, by a group of 13 monks from St. Mary's abbey
in York who sought a stricter rule than that of the Benedictines. They
had the support of Archbishop Thurstan, who aided them in founding their
new monastery. At that time, the site was a wilderness, and there was much
hardship at first, though the abbey soon attracted several wealthy patrons.
In 1133, they applied to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, France, the founder
of the Cistercians, for admittance into that order. He agreed and
sent a monk to teach the Cistercian rule. (Knowles
and Hadcock, 119,Platt,
Abbeys, 44-9)
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Abbey sacked in 1147 and burned.(Knowles
and Hadcock, 119)
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Tower added and abbot's lodgings rebuilt by Abbot Marmaduke Huby
(appointed 1495) (Platt,
Abbeys, 215-6)
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Important because not only the abbey church is extant, but an entire monastic
complex.
Location
Plan of Monastic Complex
View from East
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