Cluny Abbey

About this place

Cluny Abbey is a former Benedictine monastery in Cluny, Saône-et-Loire, France. It was dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul. The abbey was the originating point of Cluniac Reforms and controlled a large network of monasteries throughout the Western Europe, sometimes referred to as the Cluniac Order. The abbey was constructed in the Romanesque architectural style, with three churches built in succession from the 10th to the early 12th centuries. The last basilica was the world's largest church until the construction of Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. Cluny was founded by Duke William I of Aquitaine in 910. As you explore, compare the building itself with its decoration and later additions. Differences in materials, forms and imagery can reveal successive periods of patronage, making the visit a way to understand how religious places evolved over time.