Fontfroide Abbey wasn't on our radar for this tour - I wasn't aware of its existence until we started plotting out a possible day ride from Gruissan. It is a remarkable site, and one of the highlights of this tour. Judging by the sparsity of the crowds - we had the place almost to ourselves - I imagine it's not that well known to others either. For a history of the Abbey and information about how to visit it, here's a link to the excellent Fontfroide website.
Fontfroide Abbey, a former Cistercian Abbey founded in 1093, dissolved during the French Revolution. Purchased in 1908 by artists to protect it from American collectors, and lovingly restored. Now a protected site, and a winery.
This is a subset of the courtyard photo above, to draw attention to the cistern. Beneath it is a deep well penetrating into a crack in the limestone, producing a source of very cold water. It is the reason that the Abbey was first established here, and the source of its name.
The lay brothers' 'ruelle des convers" - a boundary/communication point between the sections of the Abbey open to the lay brothers and those open to the other monks (which I don't quite understand - I'll read more on this later and try to improve on this description).
The cloisters were created in two stages, employing different architectural styles. The columns are from the original construction in the 12th century, and are Romanesque. The arching above them came a century later, and is Gothic. It is remarkable how harmoniously the styles were blended.
