The reason why this convent attracts many people is its space of ultimate purity with all of the conventional ornaments for churches such as relieves, murals, stained glass, etc. completely eliminated. This purity enables us to sharpen our senses and to experience the world which we are unable to sense in our daily lives such as what is there between the warmth of light and the coolness of shade, in the silence, and in the sound of nature such as song of birds, breeze of wind. L’abbaye du Thoronet still keeps the appearance of the times when it was built such as its facade, church, meeting room, cloister ( This is especially well-known.), cellar in which wine and olive oil were produced. Since the latter half of 19th Century , restoration and reconstruction work has been given to once dilapidated building and at present nuns from Bethlehem live there and officiate daily religious services.
Le Corbusier, who was entrusted with the planning of Convent of La Tourette is said to have visited this place. L’abbaye du Thoronet uses reddish brut stones and La Tourette uses brut concrete. The materials are different but their overwhelming solidness, the strength of their pure morpheme, the contrast between light and shade and silence……. make us feel the fundamental gene of space-design that has lived beyond the changing of the times and the forms. This gene may be inherited by such architect as Tadao Ando who has always been seeking for the balance of light and shade for his architectures. ‘The Church of Light and Shade’ of his design seems to tell us it was.

Now L’abbaye du Thonette with L’abbaye de Senanque、L’abbaye de Silvacane is among the three sisters of Provence. Rather strong will and imaginative power may be needed for you to feel the silence at the Convent of Le Thonet, which has become one of the most popular sightseeing spots. Or it may have been the case that the day we happened to visit it was Sunday. If there is another chance to visit it, I’ll choose one of week days in winter. Architectural masterpieces will change their appearances according to the time of a day. If you really want to know their greatness, you should at least spare a whole day--- the trip of this time made me deeply know that such visit should be ideal.




translated by Yuji Tazaki