Charterhouse of La Verne and Thoronet Abbey travel guide

Over the centuries, the wild and impenetrable Maures hills attracted a number of great monastic orders. Today, the Charterhouse of La Verne and Thoronet Abbey are the most-visited monuments in the Var region, while Notre Dame des Anges offers the most beautiful view onto the massif.

La Verne Charterhouse Built by Carthusian monks in the second half of the 12th century, in isolation from other dwellings on the slopes above Collobrières, the Charterhouse of La Verne has had a turbulent history, what with fires, pillaging, conflicts and the Black Plague. It was listed as an historical monument in 1921. Reconstructed in the 17th and 18th centuries, the magnificent buildings have now been restored with the support of the Friends of the Charterhouse of La Verne. The monastery has been occupied since 1982 by a congregation of some thirty Sisters of Bethlehem, but it remains open to visitors every day except Tuesdays, principal religious feast days, and during the month of January. The easiest access is from Collobrières. There is a beautiful view onto this imposing building from the mountain road between Cogolin and Collobrières. Thoronet: a Cistercian gem Like the Carthusians, who looked for "deserts" to settle in, the Cistercian order, founded by Robert de Molesme, sought to restore the rule prescribed by Saint Benedict in the 6th century. "If it can be done, the monastery should be so established that all the necessary things, such as water, mill, garden and various workshops, may be within the walls, so that there is no necessity for the brothers to go about outside, since that is not at all profitable for their souls." In 1157, a group of Cistercians found the ideal conditions for a new monastery in the heart of the Provence, in Thoronet: "a place of vast and horrid loneliness", with, of course, an abundance of water. Construction took a century, and the resulting edifice is a symbol of the spirituality of Cistercian art. Its pure beauty resides in its almost austere simplicity, and in the polished aspect of the limestone used for the outside walls. The monks found a way to make these walls appear seamless, as if the stones were simply positioned one on top of the other. They were in fact bevelled and joined with mortar on the inside of the building. A true Cistercian gem, to be discovered without delay. The Chapel of Notre-Dame des Anges The Chapel of Notre-Dame des Anges, situated on one of the two highest points of the Maures (780 metres), is worth a visit, primarily because of the panoramic view it affords onto the massif. It can be reached by foot from Collobrières , on the GR90 hiking trail, and by car, from la Fourche pass, on the road between Pignans and Collobrières. It is necessary to drive carefully, as the roads are very narrow and winding.

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Latest Reviews for Charterhouse of La Verne and Thoronet Abbey

masami

L'abbaye du Thoronet est sans aucun doute l'un des plus beaux endroits que j'aie jamais vus! À vo... more

2009-07-20 / follow masami / report abuse

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