What medieval order founded in 1098 emphasized simplicity and hard work?

The story behind the answer

Founded in 1098 at Cîteaux (Latin: Cistercium) by Robert of Molesme, this reform movement sought a strict return to the Rule of St. Benedict—plain architecture, austere worship, and daily manual labor. It arose as a reaction to the wealth and ceremony associated with Cluniac monasteries, insisting that monks work the land themselves rather than rely on rents and privileges.

Spreading rapidly under figures like Bernard of Clairvaux, their communities pioneered granges (monastic farms), advanced water management, and improved sheep raising and metallurgy. Their “white monks” habit symbolized purity and simplicity, and their network shaped Europe’s medieval economy by draining marshes, clearing forests, and disseminating efficient agricultural practices alongside spiritual reform.