Abbaye de Sylvanès

Sylvanès

The story of Sylvanès begins with a brigand. In the early 12th century, Pons de Léras, a lord who controlled the Pas de l'Escalette, lived by armed violence and robbed his neighbours. Around 1115–1117, seized by the fear of God, he was converted: tradition relates that he gave back his plunder before withdrawing, around 1120, with a few companions into this wooded valley to lead the life of a hermit. In 1133, fifteen charters of donation secured ownership of the site; builders from the Cistercian abbey of Mazan, in the Vivarais, laid it out, and in 1136 the monastery was raised to an abbey attached to the order of Citeaux. A rare fact, documented in the contemporary chronicle of the monk Hugues Francigena: the founder refused all dignity and remained a simple lay brother, putting his skills as a lord at the service of the estate. The abbey church, of thoroughly Cistercian sobriety, houses one of the widest Romanesque naves in France, with exceptional acoustics. After centuries of decline and abandonment at the Revolution, the abbey was listed as a monument historique as early as 1854, bought by the commune in 1970, then brought back to life from 1975 by the association of the Friends of the Abbey. Now a cultural meeting centre, it has hosted an international festival of sacred music since 1978: in the nave of the converted brigand, song has replaced arms.

Getting there : In the village of Sylvanès (Le Bourg, 12360), in a valley of the Rougier in southern Aveyron. Parking on site, accessible to disabled visitors. Open all year round; self-guided, audio-guided or guided visits (+33 5 65 98 20 20).

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound