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Origin and history

The abbey of Notre-Dame de Senanque, founded in 1148 by Cistercian monks from Mazan (Ardèche), became abbey in 1150 under the impulse of Alphant, bishop of Cavaillon. Located in the valley of the Senancole, it thrives thanks to the donations of the lords of Simiane and Venasque. As early as 1152, his large community founded a second abbey in the Vivarais. The monastery develops " barns" (farms) managed by converse brothers, but its enrichment in the 14th century results in a temporary decadence, before a return to the original rigour.

In the 16th century, during the Wars of Religion, the abbey was burned by the Vaudois (1544), and its converse building destroyed. In the seventeenth century, reduced to two monks, the religious saw the abbey sold as national property in 1791 to a purchaser who preserved it. Repurchased in 1857 by Abbé de Lérins, Dom Barnouin, she regained her monastic vocation with 72 monks, before their expulsion in 1903. The abbey was listed as a historic monument in 1921 (church, cloister, capitular hall) and 1970 (west and south wings).

In 1926 Senanque became a priory dependent on the abbey of Lérins. In 1969, the last five monks left the area, leaving room for a cultural centre funded by Paul Berliet (1970-1988), where intellectuals and artists met (François Cheng, Edgar Morin, Michel Rocard). The monks returned in 1988, and today six Cistercians still live there. The abbey, open to visitors, combines monastic life, tourism and artisanal activities (lavand, honey).

The Romanesque architecture of Senanca, sober and functional, illustrates the Cistercian ideal: abbatial in limestone, semicircular bedside, typical square bell tower, and cloister with water-leaved capitals. The nave, threatened by collapse in 2018, benefited from a restoration campaign (€2.2 million) thanks to donations and the 2019 Heritage Lotto. Work in progress is expected to be completed in the spring of 2024.

Monastic life, always rigorous, alternate offices, prayer and manual work, in silence and frugality. The monks welcome spiritual retreats and live from visiting the abbey, from a bookshop, and from selling local products (lavand, honey). The abbey, a symbol of Provencal heritage, has also inspired cultural works, such as the novel Les Gardiens des pierres (Patrick Drevet 1982).

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