Clairvaux Abbey was founded in 1115 by Bernard of Clairvaux and became an archetype for Cistercian monasteries. The article names no architect and gives no overall style. The larger Clairvaux II abbey was begun in 1135, and its church was dedicated in 1174.
A comprehensive rebuilding, Clairvaux III, began in 1708 in the classical style and was unfinished when the Revolution arrived. The abbey was bought in 1792 and became a glassworks, and the church was sold as a quarry in 1812. Later construction altered its layout significantly.
A large 12th-century lay brothers' building, later turned into a barn, is the only surviving medieval structure. The site served as a prison from 1804 or 1808, as the article gives both dates, until it closed in 2023. Renovation began in 2021 to make it a tourist destination.
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