Avignon et Provence

www.avignon-et-provence.com
Tourism & accommodation in Provence

Vacances en Provence
 Home  Accommodation Hebergement en Provence Tourism Tourisme en Provence  Leisures & Relax  Seminars  Gastronomy  Wines  Shopping  Espace Pro
 Tourism Hebergement en Provence   Museums Hebergement en Provence   Reports
Recherche hebergement en Provence
 > Tourism Promo & Last Minute Recherche hebergement en Provence Tourisme en Provence
Cistercian Abbeys Provence
 
At the end of the 11th century, the Clunis monks ruled as lords over more than 1200 abbeys spread out throughout Europe, handing out their own justice and accumulating outrageous wealth.
Statue of the Virgin - Thoronet Abbey

The churches, with their inordinate, flaunting, grandiose proportions and ornaments, ignored the misery of the faithful, while the wealthy monks showed little taste for working the land, preferring to devote their time to the politics of the era. Then, just when at the time warrior orders like the Templars were developing, others judged it more urgent to once again adopt the poverty and humility of the first Christians.

Some monks started a reformed Benedictine abbey in Cîteaux, in Burgundy. Remote from all politics, without any real power, the new Cistercian order remained in the shadow of the powerful Cluny monks until a man with incredible charisma, St Bernard of Clairvaux, brought the momentum to this great cultural and architectural undertaking, which, at its height, would see several hundred abbeys spread across all of Europe. In Provence, the Cistercians founded three abbeys, which later were to be called
"the three Provençal sisters" : Thoronet, a few kilometers from le Luc, Senanque next to Gordes, and Silvacane at la Roque d´Anthéron.

Thoronet Abbey Senanque Abbey
Copyright Texts : Philippe Reyt - Copyright Photos : José Nicolas

SARL Provence.com 1996-2008 | © Avignon et Provence | All rights reserved | Contact Provence.com | Site Map
Noncontractual photographs and texts. Information is given on this site as an indication and do not engage to in no case the responsibility for Provence.com.
Hit-Parade