The simplicity that reigns around the cloister of the Abbey of Fontfroide inspires silence. The Cistercian monks used to read and meditate there, sheltered by the arches and marble columns. They built the stone vault in 1145 after the abbey was attached to the Order of Cîteaux. When exploring the monument and its listed gardens, visitors find themselves transported back to the Middle Ages, when monks still populated the shady alleys of Fontfroide.