Provence: The Abbey of Sénanque
Gordes is one of the hill perched villages in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France and another village officially listed as one of “Les plus beaux villages de la France”/ “the most beautiful villages of France.” I’m starting to think I need to ask for the list of villages NOT the most beautiful in France, it could be shorter. I took this picture of Gordes from a viewpoint without stopping to explore the village itself as I was on my way to nearby Sénanque Abbey with its famed lavender fields that I was very eager to photograph.
Notre-Dame de Sénanque is considered a must see in Provence during lavender season. The sight of the Abbey and its lavender fields is familiar to many who watch the Tour de France when images of this iconic site are beamed onto your screens.
The Abbey of Sénanque was founded 1148 by a dozen Cistercians monks coming from another monastery of Mazan. This is still a working abbey today with a small community of monks living here and still following the rule of Saint Benedict. Seven times a day, the monks gather in the abbey church to pray together. Cultivation of lavandin, of olive trees, production of honey, visits of the abbey, hospitality and the monastic shop permit the monks to live, maintain, and restore the Abbey itself. The brothers of Sénanque dedicate their lives to prayer and labor.
