The abbey was founded in 1118 when Simon de Neauffle and his wife Eve donated the land for this foundation to the monks of Savigny Abbey, in order to have a monastery built in honour of the Mother of God and St. John the Baptist. Vital, Abbot of Savigny accepted their offer, and sent a band of monks under the direction of Arnaud, who became their first abbot. Besides their first benefactors, others of the nobility came to the aid of the new community.