Abbey - Oxford Definition

The buildings occupied by a religious community, partially or wholly secluded from the world, of monks or nuns under the jurisdiction of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys frequently competed with each other as centres of pilgrimage and were often richly endowed with relics, furnishings, and libraries of great importance. During the Middle Ages abbeys were major centres of architecture and painting. For a discussion of the architecture, see MONASTERY.