Statue of the Virgin and Christ Child
In the North transept, one can admire a Virgin and Child called "Virgin of Fontenay", a masterpiece of medieval art. This statue is one of the most remarkable examples of Burgundian sculpture of the late thirteenth century. It is an exception to the austere Cistercian architectural and reflects Saint Bernard’s special devotion to Our Lady.
The statue was sold at the time of the French Revolution to a family from the nearby village of Touillon for the equivalent of € 5 today. It was placed it on the family tomb, exposed to the weather for more than a century. It was bought back jointly by the owner of Fontenay and the French State in 1929.
