Grandselve was founded as a hermitage under the Benedictine rule in 1114 by
Gerald of Sales, who placed it under the supervision of Cadouin Abbey. In 1117 Bishop Amelius Raymond du Puy of Toulouse recognized it as a monastery. He authorized the monks to build a church, gave them the lands, and required them to follow the rule as practiced at
Cîteaux Abbey. Over time, the monks began to detach themselves from their connection to Cadouin, and in 1135 Bishop Amelius, at the request of
Pope Innocent II, reminded them of their required obedience. Grandselve joined the Cistercian movement as a daughter house of
Clairvaux Abbey in 1145. The church was dedicated in 1253. The land was cultivated, mills were established on the rivers and vineyards were planted. By the fourteenth century, the abbey owned two wine cellars in Bordeaux. It became one of the most flourishing and famous abbeys of the south. Grandselve founded the College of St. Bernard in Toulouse to teach theology. == References ==