In 1136, the abbey of Cherlieu (Haute-Saône), recently founded by the abbey of Clairvaux, established its first building in the Ognon valley. Acey Abbey was thus born, with the favors of Anséric, archbishop of Besançon, and Raynaud III, count of Burgundy. The scale of the original buildings, particularly the church, indicates that a large community inhabited these places. After two centuries of great prosperity, difficult times arrived. The monks will share with their neighbors the trials of invasions, wars, economic difficulties…

The abandoned buildings suffered and around 1650 the vaults of the first six bays of the central nave of the church collapsed. In 1683, a fire destroyed the 12th century monastery. In the 18th century, Franche-Comté, now French land and a peaceful region, experienced a period of reconstruction from which the abbey would benefit. 1780 saw the end of the work, but the Revolution dispersed the few remaining monks and the heritage. Around 1855, a community was reconstituted. In 1937, Acey regained its title of abbey and regained a vitality never denied until today. Faithful to this momentum, today’s community strives to keep the spirit of the first Cîteaux, the sole heir of the thirteen monasteries of men founded in Franche-Comté in the 12th century.