Memo

 At the back of the crypt there is a well and also a stone with Latin words which mean « For dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return «   . For a long time we thought the crypt had been a mortuary but now we know it was impossible because the infirmary was set apart from the Monks' Quarters.

Visit

The scriptorium

By 1130 Saint Bernard's influence had inceased tremendously – Saint Bernard was the Abbot of Clairvaux, one of the first foundations of the Cistercian Order. The scriptorium is the room where the monks who transcribed manuscripts used to work and the dimensions of the scriptorium at the Vaucelles Abbey are impressive. It is 36,80 m long and its architecture is Roman though the use of rib vaulting can be noticed. The severe atmosphere of this room is in keeping with Cistercian principles. We can imagine the monks working at their manuscripts and illuminating them. Next to the scriptorium there was a small, called the warming room, where a fire was lit so that the monks could warm up their hands and above all make sure the ink didn't freeze. The scriptorium is divided into 3 naves by 2 series of 5 columns. The use of rib vaulting makes it a representative and prestigious vestige of early Gothic style. Under the scriptorium there is a crypt which was actually used as a storeroom for food or as a cellar. The entrance to the crypt is particularly interesting from an architectural point of view. After the French Revolution the scriptorium was turned into a weaving factory and during WWI the Germans opened up the facade so that their tanks could get in. After decades of renovation this room has been given a new lease of life.

Modified on 17-05-2010