Since the monasteries had done so much to create the new Europe now bursting into architectural flower, it is appropriate that there are two families of churches that express the greatness of Burgundian federative monasticism: Cluny and Cîteaux. Cluny ultimately had about 1,400 dependencies under centralized rule, of which about 200 were important establishments. The Cistercians had a ramified system that ultimately included 742 monasteries and about 900 nunneries. It was Cluny that, after an impressive rebuilding of the monastery buildings (1077–85), undertook the Maior Ecclesia, or Cluny III (1088–1130 and later). Until it was largely demolished in the early 19th century, it was the largest monastic church, the largest Romanesque church, and the largest French church. It had many features that prepared the way for Gothic: tall proportions, grouped piers, pointed arches, specialized wall and vault construction. It had carvings of great beauty in the apse (where one of the first medieval sculptural allegories was placed by 1095) and at the portals of the nave (where the first really grand ensemble of monumental carved and painted west portals was placed, about 1108). Cluny III inspired only a few great buildings (including, however, Paray-le-Monial, La ... (200 of 79,855 words)Burgundy