Abbaye de Sénanque
Abbaye de Sénanque features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Provence. Give it roughly ~90 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type religious
- Suggested visit ~90 min
- Provence Provence guide
About Abbaye de Sénanque
A 12th-century Cistercian abbey still inhabited by monks, surrounded by lavender fields in a remote Luberon valley, the most photographed combination of architecture and landscape in Provence.
The Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque is one of the three celebrated Cistercian "sisters" of Provence (along with Silvacane and Le Thoronet), founded in 1148 in a remote and secluded valley near Gordes. The abbey is a masterpiece of Romanesque-Cistercian architecture, notable for the complete absence of ornamental decoration, the Cistercian ideal of simplicity and austerity is expressed in every stone. The community of monks has maintained an almost continuous presence here since the founding, interrupted only by the Wars of Religion in the 16th century and the French Revolution. The abbey is best known, and most visited, in June and July when the lavender fields that surround it are in full bloom, the combination of the grey stone cloister and church against a sea of purple lavender is perhaps the single most reproduced image in all of Provence.
Did you know? Sénanque Abbey was founded in 1148 by twelve monks, following the Cistercian rule that a new monastery must be founded with exactly twelve monks plus an abbot, the same number as Christ's twelve apostles.
How long is a visit to Abbaye de Sénanque?
Set aside roughly ~90 min for Abbaye de Sénanque. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Abbaye de Sénanque worth your time?
Abbaye de Sénanque is among the 12 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Provence, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Provence
Hear the story of Abbaye de Sénanque
Preview the Provence tour free in the Gingerguide app.