Editing Cîteaux Abbey (section)

=== The modern era ===
Since Cîteaux, the head of the order, had to meet extraordinary demands above and beyond those of other Cistercian abbeys, its campus was different. There had to be accommodations for the delegates of the annual chapter, their entourages and horses, but also for the ducal family. These obligations had an impact on the development of the abbey's infrastructure.<ref name=":0">Martine Plouvier et Alain Saint-Denis: Pour une histoire monumentale de l’abbaye de Cîteaux (1908-1998). ''Cîteaux, commentarii cistercienses'', Association Bourguignonne des Sociétés Savantes, 1998.</ref>

To the north, the abbey's gatehouse opened onto a first courtyard, the so-called "lower courtyard," which was flanked by large buildings for guests and pilgrims. At its southern end there was a second gate, the upper floor of which was reserved for the accommodation of the Duchesses of Burgundy. It opened onto a large courtyard of honor, which in turn led to the residence of the Dukes of Burgundy. This courtyard also included buildings that were only used during the General Chapter.<ref name=":0" />

In the beginning of the 16th century, the abbey had a strong community of about 200 members. However, it suffered badly in the [[French Wars of Religion]] and slowly declined for the next century. in 1589, soldiers stormed and looted the abbey, reportedly carrying away "three hundred wagonloads of booty" and leaving the monastery in ruins. Cîteaux was left "practically abandoned for years," and it took until around 1610 for any sort of stable monastic life to be re-established there.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lekai |first=Louis J. |date=1970 |title=The Abbatial Election at Citeaux in 1625 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0009640700024823/type/journal_article |journal=Church History |language=en |volume=39 |issue=1 |pages=30 |doi=10.2307/3163211 |issn=0009-6407}}</ref>

In 1698, the abbey had 72 professed monks. In 1790, in the wake of the [[French Revolution]], the monks were offered a pension if they agreed to return to civilian life. Fourteen of them, including Abbot Francois Trouvé, refused the offer, while twenty-nine took it. The abbey was seized and the property sold off by the government; what was left was looted by the local population. To calm the ensuing violence, a minor squad under the direction of [[Napoleon|Napoléon Bonaparte]] was called in.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Tobin |first=Stephen |url=https://archive.org/details/cisterciansmonks00tobi/mode/2up?q=%22procedure+of+suppression%22 |title=The Cistercians |date=1996 |publisher=Overlook Press |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-87951-654-3 |edition=2nd |location=Woodstock, NY |pages=177–180}}</ref>