In the 12th and 13th centuries, many abbeys were built in England, Scotland, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Austria. In France the monastic movement flourished to a greater extent than in any other country.

When were monasteries created?

Christian monasteries first developed in the 4th century in Egypt and Syria and by the 5th century the idea had spread to Western Europe.

Why are some houses called abbeys?

The sprawling estate—home to the aristocratic Crawley family and their household staff—was once an ecclesiastical property, hence the "abbey" in the title. In fact, their fictional digs sub for the actual Highclere Castle west of London, on grounds nearly 20 percent larger than NYC's Central Park.