NOTRE-DAME DE SENANQUE ABBEY

The Abbey of Sénanque was founded in 1148 by Cistercian monks from the Abbey of Mazan in Ardèche. The church was consecrated thirty years later by the bishop of Cavaillon. In the 13th and 14th centuries, the abbey experienced a period of economic prosperity and spiritual influence. However, it was devastated at the time of the Wars of Religion. During the French Revolution, the abbey was sold as national property. It was bought back in 1854 by Dom Barnouin who reinstalled a community of Cistercian monks of the Immaculate Conception. At the beginning of the 20th century, the monks were expelled by the anti-clerical laws. Community life did not resume until 1926. In 1969, the monks joined their mother house on the island of Saint-Honorat de Lérins, then returned to Sénanque in 1988. They share their time between prayer, work (cultivation of lavender) and the traditional Benedictine welcome. The abbey is located in a natural setting which makes its discovery particularly pleasant. It overlooks several fields of lavandin whose shimmering colors, during the flowering season, enhance the monastic buildings whose sobriety is the first attribute. It is not unusual for painters to set up their easels to immortalize the scene. Although it is still in activity, the monastery is open to visitors several times a day, at fixed times. In order not to disturb the monks in their meditation, a guide will tell you the history of the abbey and will make you discover its accessible parts, namely

The cloister. According to the Cistercian custom, the cloister of the abbey is very bare. You will notice that the statues are few, except for a Virgin and Child. The capitals of the columns are not richly sculpted, but are simply decorated with water leaves. The galleries open onto an interior courtyard, also very sober, and communicate with the different rooms of the abbey.

The abbey church. Built in limestone, it has a nave in the shape of a Latin cross. To meet the constraints of the valley, the abbey church is oriented to the north, which is very rare, as Cistercian abbeys traditionally have an east-west orientation. Once again, one is struck by the sobriety and extreme simplicity of the place: no decoration was to disturb the monks in their meditation. The light penetrates essentially through the windows of the choir and the bell tower of the transept, which are not equipped with stained glass. It is through the back doors that the lay brothers entered, who were not allowed to use the same passages as the monks.

The monks' dormitory. Originally, up to 30 monks slept on simple straw mats in this vast room, which lacked any comfort. About 30 m long, it is covered with a broken barrel vault. On the western wall, a rose window lets in light. The dormitory was built in the extension of the church, to allow the monks to access it quickly, the monastic life being essentially organized around prayer. The first service took place at 2 o'clock every morning. Nowadays, the monks have individual cells.

The chapter house. Important place of life, it is in this room that the monks, installed on the steps, met each day around the abbot. Important decisions concerning the community were taken here. This room is the only one in the abbey where the monks were allowed to break their vow of silence.

The boiler room. Apart from the kitchen, the chauffoir (or monks' room) was the only heated room, as the imposing Romanesque fireplace attests. In this small vaulted room, supported by a massive column, the monks carried out certain tasks of daily life, such as mending, spiritual reading, but especially writing, since it was here that the monks copied manuscripts.

Today, the monks of the Sénanque Abbey live from the sale of products from various agricultural activities, such as the cultivation of lavender, the olive grove and beekeeping. They make their own honey, cookies, olive oil, essential oil of lavender... All of these artisanal products are on sale on site but also online, alongside products made in other abbeys in the region. Apart from meditation, work, through agricultural production or maintenance of the monastery, is the activity to which the monks devote most of their time.

In addition to the sale of products made on site and visits, part of the abbey's resources come from its hotel business. The hotel of the abbey of Notre-Dame de Sénanque can welcome for an individual stay (limited to 8 days maximum) people wishing to share the life of prayer of the community in silence and meditation. The wild environment of the abbey and its bare architecture lend themselves perfectly to meditation and prayer. Meals are taken in silence. The hotel brother is at your disposal for a spiritual talk if you wish. The Cistercian community also organizes group retreats, led by one of the monks of the abbey.