European Charter of Cistercian Abbeys and Sites

Ethics and founding principles of the Charter

From the outset, the association has strived to frame its actions according to a consensus of ethics and principles.

One of the strong points of the Charter is that it brings together abbeys with extremely varied institutional statuses, whether they are well-known and attractive or located away from busy areas or tourist routes. Whether they are private owners, salaried managers or voluntary association members, all these managers work to promote their abbeys, from organising visits, archaeological excavations, maintenance and restoration work, historical research and conferences to programming concerts, exhibitions, family activities and shows for the general public.

Members of the association can meet during ‘Cistercian Knowledge Days’ or ‘Study Days’, at the Annual General Meeting or regional meetings, or even during projects carried out between several abbeys.

In order to ensure that all these members can work together in harmony, it was important to set out the association's founding principles in writing: the Charter of Values was adopted in 2014 and the Foundation and Organisation Charters (Statutes) were adopted in 2019. These three charters provide the association with a solid foundation setting out its values, founding principles and governing rules.

The Charter of Values

L’éthique de l’association est formulée à travers ce que The association's ethics are set out in what we have designated as the ‘Charter of Values’. This charter lists seven values that we consider essential from both an ethical and symbolic point of view.

Below are their titles and subtitles. The full text of the seven articles is available by downloading the complete ‘charter of values’.

Article 1. Preservation

Commitment to preserve and maintain the tangible and intangible Cistercian heritage.

Article 2. Promotion

Commitment to promote this heritage to third parties for its long-term preservation.

Article 3. Spirit of the place

Commitment to preserving the spirit of the place in sites where history has led to new uses for Cistercian spaces.

Article 4. Education

Commitment to initiating or supporting educational activities designed to raise awareness among the general public of the importance of preserving this heritage.

Article 5. Research

Commitment to gather and preserve, as far as possible, all information, historical or otherwise, that is useful for understanding the site.

Article 6. Exchange and sharing

Commitment to exchange and share knowledge and experience between member sites.

Article 7. Transmission

Commitment to pass on the built Cistercian heritage and its space to future generations in the best possible condition for its preservation.

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The Foundation Charter

In the seven articles of this charter, the association sets out the essential and intangible principles on which its members rely to structure, coordinate and carry out their actions.

Article 1: Cooperation

The association promotes cooperation between its members with the aim of exchanging and sharing knowledge and ideas, but also with a view to joint actions in favour of the enhancement and sustainability of this heritage. This founding principle of cooperation is the very legitimacy of the Charter.

Article 2: Diversity of sites and parity

The uniqueness of the association is characterised by the bringing together of dissimilar historical sites (in terms of size, current state of conservation or transformation, ownership status, etc.). The association promotes the principle of non-discrimination in relations between members.

Article 3: Non-interference in the affairs of member sites

The association guarantees complete neutrality to each member, meaning that it does not interfere in their heritage policy or management.

Article 4: An organisation without intermediaries

Mindful of the complexities faced by its members in preserving and promoting this exceptional heritage, the association advocates a spirit of cordiality and solidarity, but also simplicity and loyalty.

Article 5: Independence from third parties

The association is sovereign. It expresses itself without any religious or political involvement. This principle prohibits any subordination of the Charter, whether organic or otherwise, direct or indirect, to third-party organisations.

Article 6: An intercultural approach in Europe

Given its purpose and goals, the association is by nature ‘European’, not in the institutional sense, but in the continental sense of the term. The association's intercultural approach on the continent aims to overcome the complexities inherent in this context.

Article 7: Volunteering

The European Charter of Cistercian Abbeys and Sites association acts in the public interest and on a non-profit basis. Its operation is based mainly on the voluntary work carried out by each member or manager according to their abilities.

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Contact : info@cister.eu — Adresse : 13bis avenue de la Motte-Picquet - 75007 Paris - France