Saint-Vivant Abbey, Vergy (Abbaye de Saint-Vivant de Vergy)

What you will see

The visit reveals the consolidated walls of the church and the monastery, and the 18th-century vaulted cellars, the best-preserved part of the site. A volunteer guide from a local association tells the story of the monks, the lords of Vergy and the famous vineyards below. Special days, such as a September picnic, combine the visit with an art exhibition in an old barn.

History

The abbey was founded between 894 and 918 by the lords of Vergy to house the relics of Saint Vivant, and it later came under the great abbey of Cluny. In 1232 Alix de Vergy, Duchess of Burgundy, gave it her best vineyard at Vosne. Over the centuries the monks held most of the village's vines, land that now includes famous grands crus.

The monastery was rebuilt in the 18th century, but the community was suppressed in 1788. Sold as national property, it was bought in 1796 by an ironmaster who demolished most of the buildings. In 1996 the ruins were acquired by the GFA de la Romanée-Saint-Vivant, a vineyard landholding company, and a restoration association formed in 1999. Work began in 2001, with support from the state and from donors abroad.