The Lessons of Le Thoronet

Even today, the abbey of Le Thoronet fascinates by its purity and harmonious proportions. Its architectural qualities are recognised by many contemporary architects.

From 2006 to 2014, the " Leçons du Thoronet " series gave several of them the opportunity to explain to the public the object of their admiration.

Eleven years on, the Centre des monuments nationaux and the MAV PACA are paying tribute to these lessons, which are so rich in learning, with an exhibition and a day devoted to reading the heritage site.

On a free tour of the abbey, you will discover the six Lessons of Le Thoronet by following six panels placed in six locations in the abbey.

On Friday 26 September, a day will be held on the theme of beauty in architecture.

On the programme:

• 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.: continuous screening of the documentary films of the six Leçons du Thoronet in the abbey dormitory
• 11am: guided tour of the abbey in search of traces of the "Six leçons du Thoronet".
• 2pm: tour and reading of extracts from Fernand Pouillon's novel "Les pierres sauvages
• 4pm: round-table discussion on "The lessons of Le Thoronet: what can the architecture of Le Thoronet Abbey still teach us?

Organised by the Centre des Monuments Nationaux, MAV PACA, the Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles de PACA and the Conseil Général du Var, Les Leçons du Thoronet (Lessons from Le Thoronet), held between 2006 and 2014, featured encounters between the abbey, a major landmark in the history of architecture, and a contemporary architect working with a similar ethos in the fields of architecture, town planning and landscape design. The guest architect offered his interpretation of the site. The guest's reflections took the form of an intervention. Traces of some of the lessons can still be seen in the abbey.

The abbey was approached from the angle of ethics and radicalism inspired by the high spiritual and artistic standards of Bernard of Clairvaux. Cistercian radicalism combined with a modernity that also asserted itself with intransigence.

• John Pawson, Lessons (2006)The first Lesson was a route of 14 stations marked by benches, to observe different features of the architecture.
• Alvaro Siza, Le parcours (2007)The Portuguese architect set out to rediscover the sense of visiting the abbey, taking into account the original use of the site.
• Luigi Snozzi, The forgotten wall (2009)To highlight the importance of the wall in architecture and the isolation of the abbey, Luigi Snozzi has emphasised one of its perimeter walls.
• Patrick Berger, Lux Sonus (2010)The Lux Sonus installation symbolises the passage from light to music, metaphorically representing all the transformations that take place in a chain in the church.
• Eduardo Souto de Moura, The Devil Told Me... (2012)E. Souto de Moura's aim was to improve understanding of our heritage by installing prototype lighting and signage systems.
• Henri Gaudin, La modernité du Thoronet (2014)Henri Gaudin's "Modernité du Thoronet" focused on the geometry of the abbey, where circularities and linearities blend into a constant coherence.