I had long wanted to visit the cloister of this abbey.

Augustinian monks received the lands from two families in 1115. Construction of church began in 1118. In 1119, a Cistercian abbot with 12 monks arrived.
The foundation was associated with Citeau (great Cistercian abbey created in 1095).

A shroud believed to be a cloth that covered Christ's head was given to the abbey
in 1214, and the place became the object of strong devotion; huge numbers of
pilgrims flocked there for 8 centuries. In 1934 an expert determined the cloth had no connection with Christ, and pilgrims dropped like flies.

The site was ravaged in the Hundred Years’ War, but the cloister was rebuilt in the 15th-16th centuries, and is famous for its flamboyant gothic style.