In the twelfth century there were monks who felt that the interpretation of the Rule in the Benedictine monasteries of the time no longer corresponded to its original inspiration. Robertus of Molesme, a Benedictine abbot, decided to set up a new monastery in Cîteaux, in Latin ‘Cistercium’.
From there came the name of ‘Cistercian’. The ‘New Monastery’ became the birthplace of a new order: the ‘Order of Cîteaux’. In other words the ‘Cistercians’. 1098 is the official founding year.
The foundation was certainly not a smooth journey. Ultimately three founders are mentioned: the abbot Robertus mentioned above - who was induced to return to his community in Molesme -, abbot Albericus and abbot Stephanus Harding.
Bernardus van Clairvaux is often wrongly thought of as the founder of the Order. The ‘Cistercians of Ordinary Observance’ were once also called ‘Bernardines’. Bernardus of Clairvaux did have considerable influence over the spirit and spirituality of the Order, and through his work and influence the Order expanded enormously in the twelfth century - the ‘golden century of Cîteaux’. Through his preachings and his spiritual writings, Bernardus also put his indisputable mark on Christian cultural life.
The construction of many new monasteries throughout Europe caused an influential architectural style to emerge. With their large agricultural operations, the monks made an essential contribution to the free market economy and the cultural development of Europe.
