Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

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.

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