Cluny Abbey was the seat of the greatest monastic order of the West

                          In 910 ,William the Pious,Duke of Aquitaine founded an abbey that grew considerably until the 12th century:Cluny was the mother house for over 1000 monasteries spread across Europe and became the seat of the greatest monastic order of the West,the Cluniac order.It was also a stopping point on the Santiago de Compostela pilgrim route.
                          The first chuch called Cluny I was consecrated in 927 but its shape and position are unknown!
                          The second abbey Cluny II replaced it in 981,had a complex apse and a western narthex known as a Galilee.

                          Cluny III,the great church,the major ecclesia,was built between 1088 and 1130:the church was the biggest one in the Christendom until the 16th century when Saint Peter"s was built in Rome.It was 187 meters long and the apex of the vault stood 30 meters high.
                          Only a few remains of the latter can still be seen today.

                          New monastic buildings were built in the 18th century that house now the ENSAM engineers high school.


entry:7 euro
opening hours:-open daily except 1st January,May,November,11th November and 25th December
                       -From 2nd May to 31th August:9:30 am-6:30 pm
                       -From September to April:9:30am-12am and 1:30pm to 5:00 pm
                        last admission 30 minutes before closing time