Abbey

An abbey is a complex of buildings that houses a community of monks or nuns living under an abbot or abbess. The term derives from the Latin abbatia, via Old French abbaye, from the title abbas (abbot), which ultimately traces to a word meaning father.

An abbey is typically a self-contained religious community with its own church and facilities for worship, work, and study. A monastery may be called an abbey if it is headed by an abbot or abbess and enjoys a certain degree of independence; a priory is a subsidiary house governed by a prior or prioress, often under the jurisdiction of a mother abbey. In the Christian tradition, the abbot or abbess holds spiritual and administrative authority over the community and its property.

Architectural layouts commonly include a church, cloister, chapter house, refectory, dormitory, and infirmary, along with workshops or scriptoriums where manuscripts were copied. Monastic life emphasizes prayer, contemplation, and labor, and abbeys have historically been centers of learning, manuscript production, and agricultural activity.

Historically, abbeys played a major role in medieval Europe, influencing culture, education, and land use. Some abbeys were dissolved or repurposed in later centuries, such as during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in England, while others remain active communities or have become preserved historic sites. Notable abbeys include Monte Cassino in Italy, Cluny in France, Fontenay in France, and Saint Gall in Switzerland.