At the end of the 10th century Bruno de Roucy, Bishop of Langres, asked Majolus of Cluny to send monks to rebuild the abbeys of the Langres diocese.

Among them was William of Volpiano, who became abbot of Saint-Bénigne at Dijon, and was also abbot of Bèze from 990 until his death in 1031.

William introduced the customs of Cluny to both abbeys.

The Rule of Saint Benedict is first mentioned in the Chronicle of Beze when it comes to the William, an Italian who became abbot in 990.

Unlike Saint-Bénigne, the properties of the abbey were concentrated in the immediate vicinity, towards Champlitte and the Saône.

Thanks to William's reforms Bèze attracted gifts from local nobles such as the Fouvents, descendants of the counts of Atuyer, the Beaumonts and Montsaugeons towards Langres and the Beaujeus on the Saône.

The property included serfs.
For example, in the 11th century the abbey received the serf Arnulf and "one half of the sons or daughters of the said Arnulf" for the benefit of Sir Henri de Ferté's soul.

Raoul le Blanc, Viscount of Dijon, became a monk at Saint-Bénigne, then was made grand-prior of Bèze under abbot William and played a major role in the restoration of the abbey.

Raoul dedicated his immense fortune to entirely rebuilding the abbey, including executing two ossuaries in the chapel of the Virgin and replacing the remains of the old destroyed tombs.

He rebuilt the church on a larger scale, and it was dedicated in 1016 or 1018 in a ceremony arranged by Lambert de Vignory, Brunon's successor as bishop in a ceremony attended by many bishops and clergy from various provinces of France.

In 1018 the lord of Fouvent founded the priory of Saint-Sépulcre beside his castle, subordinate to Bèze abbey.

Ulger or Olger 1, former prior of Beze, was abbot from 1031 to 1052.

He died on return from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

In October 1050 Pope Leo IX visited Langres, where he settled a dispute between the Bèze monks and the Langres canons over tithes from one of the monks' vineyards.
He said that "By the authority of the Holy Fathers who preceded me in the see of Rome, it was permitted that no church founded in honour of St Peter, the prince of the Apostles, should pay a rent of tithes to another church."
This silenced the canons.

In 1066 a solemn assembly of bishops, abbots and local lords was held at the abbey of Bèze to settle difference between the abbot of Saint-Benigne and the officers of Robert, Duke of Burgundy.

In 1083 Ponce, lord of the Château de Beaujeu, gave the abbey a chapel built in honour of Saint Vallier with lands and various rights.

Étienne de Joinville was the son and grandson of counts on his father's side, and grandson of Arnoul, count of Reynel on his mother's side.

He served as a soldier before becoming a monk.

He was a monk at the Priory of Saint-Oyan-de-Bar and then at Cluny, where his uncle Widon was Grand Prior.

He was appointed prior at Sainte-Germaine de Bar-sur-Aube, then of Bar-sur-Seine.

In 1088 he was chosen as abbot of Bèze by bishop Robert.

Under the abbot Étienne de Jonvelle (c. 1088–1124) the grants multiplied, particularly in the form of restitution of churches.

Humbert de Fouvent, who had been killed in the service of the Bishop of Langres around 1085–87, was buried at Bèze.

His widow gave the abbey the chapel of his castle, the church of Lavoncourt and two silver cyphes.

In 1093 Irmuin de Seveux gave the abbey the churches of Saint-Denis and Saint-Laurent.
Pope Paschal II stayed at the abbey in 1107.

He was accompanied by Henry, Abbot of Saint-Jean-d'Angély.

Étienne doubled the size of the abbey's domain by restitution and donations, and expanded the abbey buildings, extending the church to the river.


There are still remains of an axial chapel from the early 12th century.

This is all that is left of Étienne's buildings.

The chapels would have extended towards the Bèze river from the apse of the church.

Under Étienne's rule the number of monks grew to about 50 living in the abbey and another 50 in subordinate priories.

The monk Jean (died 1120) wrote the Chronicon Besuense, a history
At the end of the 10th century Bruno de Roucy, Bishop of Langres, asked Majolus of Cluny to send monks to rebuild the abbeys of the Langres diocese.
Among them was William of Volpiano, who became abbot of Saint-Bénigne at Dijon, and was also abbot of Bèze from 990 until his death in 1031.
William introduced the customs of Cluny to both abbeys.
The Rule of Saint Benedict is first mentioned in the Chronicle of Beze when it comes to the William, an Italian who became abbot in 990.
Unlike Saint-Bénigne, the properties of the abbey were concentrated in the immediate vicinity, towards Champlitte and the Saône.
Thanks to William's reforms Bèze attracted gifts from local nobles such as the Fouvents, descendants of the counts of Atuyer, the Beaumonts and Montsaugeons towards Langres and the Beaujeus on the Saône.
The property included serfs. For example, in the 11th century the abbey received the serf Arnulf and "one half of the sons or daughters of the said Arnulf" for the benefit of Sir Henri de Ferté's soul.
Raoul le Blanc, Viscount of Dijon, became a monk at Saint-Bénigne, then was made grand-prior of Bèze under abbot William and played a major role in the restoration of the abbey.
Raoul dedicated his immense fortune to entirely rebuilding the abbey, including executing two ossuaries in the chapel of the Virgin and replacing the remains of the old destroyed tombs. 
He rebuilt the church on a larger scale, and it was dedicated in 1016 or 1018 in a ceremony arranged by Lambert de Vignory, Brunon's successor as bishop in a ceremony attended by many bishops and clergy from various provinces of France.
In 1018 the lord of Fouvent founded the priory of Saint-Sépulcre beside his castle, subordinate to Bèze abbey.
Ulger or Olger 1, former prior of Beze, was abbot from 1031 to 1052.
He died on return from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. 
In October 1050 Pope Leo IX visited Langres, where he settled a dispute between the Bèze monks and the Langres canons over tithes from one of the monks' vineyards. He said that "By the authority of the Holy Fathers who preceded me in the see of Rome, it was permitted that no church founded in honour of St Peter, the prince of the Apostles, should pay a rent of tithes to another church." This silenced the canons. 
In 1066 a solemn assembly of bishops, abbots and local lords was held at the abbey of Bèze to settle difference between the abbot of Saint-Benigne and the officers of Robert, Duke of Burgundy.
In 1083 Ponce, lord of the Château de Beaujeu, gave the abbey a chapel built in honour of Saint Vallier with lands and various rights.
Étienne de Joinville was the son and grandson of counts on his father's side, and grandson of Arnoul, count of Reynel on his mother's side.
He served as a soldier before becoming a monk.
He was a monk at the Priory of Saint-Oyan-de-Bar and then at Cluny, where his uncle Widon was Grand Prior.
He was appointed prior at Sainte-Germaine de Bar-sur-Aube, then of Bar-sur-Seine.
In 1088 he was chosen as abbot of Bèze by bishop Robert.
Under the abbot Étienne de Jonvelle (c. 1088–1124) the grants multiplied, particularly in the form of restitution of churches.
Humbert de Fouvent, who had been killed in the service of the Bishop of Langres around 1085–87, was buried at Bèze.
His widow gave the abbey the chapel of his castle, the church of Lavoncourt and two silver cyphes.
In 1093 Irmuin de Seveux gave the abbey the churches of Saint-Denis and Saint-Laurent.Pope Paschal II stayed at the abbey in 1107.
He was accompanied by Henry, Abbot of Saint-Jean-d'Angély.
Étienne doubled the size of the abbey's domain by restitution and donations, and expanded the abbey buildings, extending the church to the river.

There are still remains of an axial chapel from the early 12th century.
This is all that is left of Étienne's buildings.
The chapels would have extended towards the Bèze river from the apse of the church.
Under Étienne's rule the number of monks grew to about 50 living in the abbey and another 50 in subordinate priories.
The monk Jean (died 1120) wrote the Chronicon Besuense, a history
Bèze Abbey