A masterpiece of Provençal Romanesque art

Want to know which features characterise the great Christian buildings of Provence? Prefer the sobriety of the Romanesque to the upward-reaching adornment of the Gothic? Then you just have to see the Abbey of St Pierre in Montmajour!

Founded in the mid-11th century, it only took a few decades for Abbey of Montmajour to begin its meteoric rise. Numerous donations, oboles left by thousands of pilgrims, as well as the effective development of its possessions, endowed the abbey with a wealth of capital. This windfall was soon partly invested in the construction of grandiose buildings that gave Montmajour a unique place among the great Benedictine abbeys of southern France.

Inspired by the great Roman monuments such as the amphitheatre in Arles, Provençal Romanesque art, contemporary with Gothic in northern France, is characterized by the adoption of the basilical plan and barrel vault. . Finesse in its use of volumes and perfectly dressed stone also define this first style of architecture.

plan de la crypte et de l'abbatiale — Plan de la crypte et de l'abbatiale par Henri Revoil
© CMN

In Montmajour, at the humble troglodyte hermitage of Saint-Pierre was followed by the first abbey church in the 11th century. A symbol of the abbey's spectacular development, this abbey church was replaced by a majestic new two-storey church in the 12th century!

A feature that is unique in Provence, the crypt compensates for the naturally sloping ground and supports the church. With an ambulatory opening onto five radiating chapels, it features a central cul-de-four apse. Supporting the abbey church, the four double arches are impressive for their width and the quality of their joinery. Initially, the crypt housed relics of the True Cross, and its chapels were vital to the celebration of early morning mass.

Rising to a height of 14 metres, the abbey church is like an upturned ship made of stone, in which the light creates a truly unique atmosphere. And yet, it's not Gothic ! The simplicity of the plan and the fullness of the volumes, the strength of the walls and piers, the elegance of the barrel vault are the hallmarks ofProvençal Romanesque architecture.

Who cares if the building was never finished, with only two of the five planned bays actually built! The church is nevertheless a shining symbol of a thriving monastic community.