Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque: A Lavender Pilgrimage

My journey to Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque started several years ago and turned out to be a somewhat circuitous one. I first heard about this mecca of lavender through a bedtime story on the Calm app. And since then, I’ve often been lulled to sleep by the dulcet voice of Stephen Fry beguiling me with images of the lavender fields of Provence. Of all the delights mentioned in this story by Pheobe Smith, the charms of the Abbey captivated me most. And so, with COVID restrictions lifted this past summer, I made my way by plane, train and then automobile to les Monts de Vaucluse to finally experience the lavender fields of my dreams.

The Hills of Vaucluse

On these last two legs of my journey, I was joined by my sister, Betty. The morning of our visit dawned bright, clear and hot beneath the Provençal sun. We departed the market town of Aix-en-Provence, our southern France base, and settled in for the hour-long drive. Missing our planned exit off the highway, we ended up taking the longer way around but eventually arrived at Gordes on the top of les Monts. From here, we slowly traversed the final few kilometres, leading a procession of vehicles down the narrow road that clung to the edge of the rocky hillside. Betty soon caught sight of the Abbey below and encouraged me to look. But at that moment, driving required my full attention. My first view of Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque would have to wait a few minutes more.

An Abbey of Lavender

But it was definitely worth the wait. Having parked the car, as we made our way along the driveway, the Abbey came into view. I had arrived at last!The 12th-century Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque was built by Cistercian monks next to, what was then, the river Sénancole. And it is believed it’s name is derived from this body of water who’s own name comes from the Latin sana aqua – pure water. The arid landscape that lay before us is a testament to how much the climate in this region has changed over time. When built, the Abbey was supported by the river as it’s water source in what was then quite a rainy terroir. As Betty and I awaited the start of our scheduled tour, we searched out a reprieve from the heat in the shade. We sat quietly on stone walls marvelling at the sight of the seemingly treacherous path down the hillside we had just traversed and taking in the view of the surrounding lavender fields, their blossoms fully matured.

Gifts of the Black Bees

Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque is home today to a small community of seven Cistercian monks who live and work in silence. A stroll through one of its lavender fields revealed another group of prolific residents. It was one that I had expected, but was also surprised to see – giant, black honeybees. For the abundance of lavender is a perfect food source for honeybees. However, the size and colour of this variety were previously unknown to me.  I was fascinated as I watched them drunkenly float among the lavender flowers, the sun catching a hint of blue in their somewhat tattered wings. And I was delighted to be able to purchase the fruits of their labour in the Abbey Gift Shop. The Gift Shop also held other delights, including a leaf-framed view of the Abbey and a unique set of statues of a medieval king and queen. It was also the starting point for our tour.

A Medieval Dormitory

The monks having fulfilled their mid-day devotion in the chapel and returned to their quarters, we were able to begin our tour at one o’clock. We started in what had been the dormitory, it’s name inscribed in Latin above the doorway leading from the cloister. The large, open room with a vaulted ceiling revealed the simplicity in which the monks would have lived centuries ago. For the only decoration was a large wooden cross mounted at one end of the hall and a stained glass window on the opposite one.

An Enlightening Cloister

Descending a stone staircase, we emerged into the bright sunshine of the cloister at ground level. I love cloisters. They add a jolt of colour and life to the otherwise monochromatic, stone architecture of a church or monastery. And this one was no exception. For neatly trimmed boxwood hedges surrounded the blooming garden plots which filled the courtyard. And the capitals of the stone pillars that held up the archways of the surrounding arcade were beautifully carved with gorgeous designs.

Fleur de Lis

These carvings are one of the few decorative components to be found within Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque. Some of them reflect themes of nature, faith and patriotism in the form of le fleur de lis – the iris. This symbol of dedication to the French royal throne also signifies life, light, and perfection.

Our Lady of Sénanque

We strolled around the cloister and, from one corner of it, entered the chapel. While small in footprint, it was grand in height, rising more than two storeys above our heads. Contemporary stained-glass windows shed a muted light on the space, highlighting the beauty of the simplicity of the architecture. While I’m sure this space is usually sparsely furnished, it was even more so on this day. For the chapel was undergoing restoration work, primarily to prevent the rear wall from collapsing. Despite this, a statue of Notre-Dame – Our Lady – stood smiling, with a cheerful Christ child on her arm, among the construction.

Our tour of Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque revealed several other interesting spaces. These included a completely unfurnished room, save for a rounded fireplace. This special heat source is lit only once a year, on Good Friday. On this day, the seven monks currently living in the Abbey gather around and light the Paschal candle from its flame. Another room, its walls surrounded with tiered, stone seating, offers a place for scripture reading. A small, iron cross, entwined with metal olive branches sits on a window ledge overhead.

Lavender Harvest

Our tour complete, we exited the cool interior of the Abbey’s stone walls. As we departed the grounds of Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque, we caught sight of a tractor cutting a lavender field.  It seemed a fitting end to our pilgrimage to this community of faith, lavender and honey.

As I sign off, the scent of diffused lavender oil surrounding me, I leave you with one note. Our visit to Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque was during the last week of July.  The lavender was fully matured and so somewhat muted in colour by this time. For more vivid lavender hues, I would suggest visiting at the end of June or beginning of July. In the meantime, enjoy your own walk through the lavender with this short video.

And if you’d like another unique lavender experience, take a stroll through The Lavender Labyrinth of Laveanne.

Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque  84220 Gordes, France