Understanding the acoustics of Le Thoronet Abbey

As well as being renowned for its beauty, Le Thoronet Abbey is renowned for its very special acoustics. Why not put your ear to the ground?

A layout based on the golden ratio

The church at Le Thoronet is built in the shape of a Latin cross. Its layout corresponds to the principle of the golden ratio. This number was one of the ways builders in the Romanesque period expressed their faith. It was used to give harmonious proportions to their buildings. The proportions of the church are partly responsible for its unique acoustics.

"Architecture romane. Abbaye du Thoronet. Plan général de l'église et du cloître"
© Reproduction Benjamin Gavaudo / CMN

The essential choice of stone

The raison d'être of cistercian communities is the glory of God, which they celebrate through song. Everything is ordered to hearing, because according to Saint Bernard, to see God, you must listen to him first. So building a church also means building a musical instrument, through the use of stone, proportions and shapes, particularly the shape of the vaults.

Churches were built to provide the best possible acoustics for the music of the time: a single voice could fill the vault. The quality of the stone was paramount.

At Le Thoronet Abbey, limestone plays an important role in the acoustic quality of the abbey church, which has one of the longest resonance times in the world. And that's what makes this church such an ideal setting for Gregorian chant!