Abbaye de Sénanque

Abbaye de Sénanque Review

If you've fantasized about Provence's famed lavender fields, head to the wild valley some 4 km (2½ mi) north of Gordes (via D177), where this photogenic 12th-century Romanesque abbey seemingly floats above a redolent sea of lavender (in full bloom late June to August). Begun in 1150 and completed at the dawn of the 13th century, the church and adjoining cloister are without decoration, but still touch the soul with their chaste beauty. In this orbit, the gray-stone buildings seem to have special resonance—ancient, organic, with a bit of the borie about them. Next door, the enormous vaulted dormitory contains an exhibition on Abbaye de Sénanque's construction, and the refectory shelters a display on the history of Cistercian abbeys.