History: Cistercians

1098- The Cistercian order of monks evolved because some monks became disenchanted by the lack of strict discipline in the Benedictine orders. Cistercian beliefs spread rapidly. Monks from this order were required to eat a simple diet, wear only a single robe, and eliminate any type of decoration or adornment from monasteries and churches. Cistercians did not utilize peasant labor to work their lands. The Cistercians tended to live on uninhabited lands and wastelands. While the Cistercians attempted to live lives separate from the inhabited world, they were so successful in reforming their lands that they ended up controlling vast and productive tracts of farm land.