Logo Musée du Patrimoine

All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

Silvacane Abbey à La Roque-d'Anthéron dans les Bouches-du-Rhône

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine religieux
Abbaye
Eglise romane
Bouches-du-Rhône

Silvacane Abbey

    Silvacane Abbey
    13640 La Roque-d'Anthéron
Ownership of the municipality
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Abbaye de silvacane
Crédit photo : EmDee - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Moyen Âge central
Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1100
1200
1300
1400
1500
1800
1900
2000
1144
Foundation of the Abbey
1175
Beginning of the Abbey Church
1358
Bag of the Abbey
1440
Floods of Durance
1840
Historical monument classification
2008
Transfer to the municipality
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The former Abbey: ranking by list of 1840

Key figures

Othon - Founder Abbé Half brother of Emperor Conrad III.
Bertrand des Baux - Protector Lord The church was built in 1175.
Henri Révoil - Architect restorer Directed the first works in the 19th century.
Jean Camille Formigé - Architect restorer Continues the restoration in the 20th century.

Origin and history

The Abbey of Silvacane, formerly known as the Abbey of Sauvecanne, is a Cistercian abbey founded in 1144 by monks of Morimond under the leadership of Abbé Othon. Located near the marshes of La Durance, its name means "reed forest". Protected by the lords of Provence, it grew rapidly: the church was built from 1175, and the abbey founded a subsidiary in Valsaintes in 1188. With Sénanque and Thoronet, she formed the "three Provencal sisters", symbols of Cistercian influence in Provence.

From the end of the 13th century, Silvacane went into decline, marked by conflicts with Montmajour, bags (like that of 1358), natural disasters (frozen in 1364, floods in 1440) and its annexation to the chapter of Aix-en-Provence in 1450. It became a parish church in the 16th century and suffered degradation during the Wars of Religion. Sold as a national property in 1790, it was transformed into a farm before being classified as a historic monument in 1840 and restored from 1950.

The architecture of Silvacane illustrates the Roman-Gothic transition: the church combines broken cradle vaults, dogive crosses and bays in full hangar. The cloister, built in the 13th century, also blends these styles, with vaulted galleries and partially destroyed bays. Monastic buildings, such as the monks' hall or the refectory, reflect the evolution of Cistercian rules, more austere in the 12th century, more adorned in the 15th century.

Today, the abbey belongs to the municipality of La Roque-d-Anthéron. Restored after a century of work, it hosts concerts as part of the local piano festival. Its transfer to the commune in 2008 preserved this heritage, witness to the religious and architectural history of Provence.

Future

Every year it hosts some prestigious concerts at the famous Roque-d'Anthéron piano festival and the Luberon International String Quartet Festival.

External links