Silvacane Abbey, one of the Three Sisters of Provence

Do you remember that I detoured to visit Saint Saturnin-lès-Apt on the way to cousin Annick's house near Aix-en-Provence? On the road again after my visit, I drove through Apt, passed near Bonnieux and the pretty village of Lourmarin before I reached the Durance River just past Cadenet where I saw the sign for Silvacane Abbey.

I have never been to Silvacane Abbey but I know that Silvacane Abbey is one of the three Cistercian abbeys in Provence known as the "three sisters of Provence," the other two being Sénanque Abbey near Gordes and Le Thoronet Abbey in the Var.

Sénanque Abbey is one of the most beautiful spots in Provence and certainly one of the most frequently photographed sites judging by books, posters, and postcards we see. We drive past Sénanque Abbey on the way to and from Gordes and Roussillon or other villages in the Luberon and are struck by the beauty of the place every time.

We love to visit Sénanque Abbey in July when the lavender is in bloom like the picture below.

I figured that since I already detoured once today, I would take another detour and visit Silvacane Abbey. The Abbey was founded around 1144 as a daughter house of Morimond Abbey. In 1358 the Abbey was plundered by the army of Aubignan, and from then on its financial problems grew, until in 1443 the monks were forced to leave the Abbey.

The Abbey buildings fell into disrepair during the 17th and 18th centuries and were auctioned off during the French Revolution and became a farm. After the property had passed through a number of private hands, the Abbey was bought by the French government in 1846 and declared a historical monument, and restoration work initiated.

The Abbey church was constructed in predominantly Romanesque style with some Gothic elements on the highest part of the property between 1175 and 1230. The building, a basilica with transepts, has a pointed barrel vault, with a plain ribbed vault at the crossing, on substantial cruciform columns.

A view of the Abbey church from the rear of the property.

The Abbey church and other buildings are no longer used for religious purposes. They are open to the public and are sometimes used for cultural events, including the Piano Festival of La Roque-d'Anthéron, the Silvacane Festival of Vocal Music at Silvacane, and the Festival International de Quatuors à Cordes du Luberon.

Finished with my visit to Silvacane Abbey, I drove the last few kilometers to Annick's house. Someday when we are in the Var region, I hope we can visit Le Thoronet Abbey, the third abbey that comprises the "three sisters of Provence." It would be nice to see all three.

Bonne journée mes amis et à bientôt. Have a great week.

Sénanque Abbey Lavender Field

One of the images most associated with Provence are pictures of bright lavender fields in bloom. Lavender is native to the Southern Alps and grows best at higher elevations and thrives in the chalky soils and hot dry climate of Provence.

Since true lavender grows best over 3000 feet elevation, a hybrid, Lavandin, more productive but less fragrant than true Lavender, was developed and is now cultivated on the lower slopes and in the valleys.

The lavender fields bloom from late June to the end of summer depending upon the area and weather. The best time to see lavender in bloom is the last week of June to the end of July.

It is only a single field, but our favorite place to see lavender is at the Senanque Abbey, a Cistercian abbey near the village of Gordes, founded in the 12th century.

Stretching out from the abbey buildings is a valley of lavender fields which are in full flower and fragrance during the summer and harvested late June – July.

Most of the picking of lavender is done by machinery but the inaccessible or closely-planted older fields are still picked by hand. The lavender grown in the fields around the Sénanque Abbey are harvested by hand.

After drying for two or three days, the picked lavender is sent to a distillery equipped with a classic still.

One hundred kilos of lavender blossoms are need to produce one liter of essence. The same amount of lavandin blossoms will yield 10 liters of essence.


Lavender essence is reserved for the perfume and cosmetic industries whereas the hybrid Lavandin essence is used for perfumed laundry soap and cleaning products.

It looks almost like an ocean of lavender.

Every Provencal market has multiple vendors selling dried lavender and products made from lavender including soap and honey. If you like honey, you have to try lavender honey; its delicious.

Three Cistercian abbeys called the Three Sisters of Provence were founded in the 12th century; Sénanque was the first of the Three Provencal Sisters.

The Sénanque Abbey is located about 45 km from our home in Sablet. It is nestled in a small canyon of the Senancole, which opens onto the Vaucluse plateau, the buildings of the Sénanque Abbey stand in an isolated spot.

There is a lovely view of the Abbey coming from Gordes on the D 177.

On arrival into the Abbey parking lot, you will see the Abbey's east end, set in a sea of lavender, in the summer months and bathed in sunlight.

Access to the Abbey is by tour only.

The church is aligned to the north, instead of to east, because of the narrow width of the valley in which it sits. The Sénanque Abbey does not have a main entrance door because the church was built only for the monks and lay brothers, not the public.



The cloister forms an enclosed courtyard in the center of the Abbey, surrounded by the cloister aisles on all four sides. The cloister aisles are passages between the church, the dormitory and other parts of the Abbey.

At the time of our last visit, there are 6 monks who live and work at the Abbey.

We think the Abbey is best seen in conjunction with a visit to Gordes or Roussillon.