Cistercian Collection

Senanque Sabbey Landscape with its lavender field, Provence
Famous Senanque abbey in Vaucluse with its lavender field in full bloom. Gordes, Provence, France

Kirkstall Abbey, near Leeds, West Yorkshire
View of the ruins of Kirkstall Abbey (Cistercian), near Leeds, West Yorkshire. Date: 1882

St Bernard of Clairvaux
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. Digitally colored engraving

Tintern Abbey, Wales, United Kingdom
Tintern Abbey (Welsh: Abaty Tyndyrn) was founded by Walter de Clare, Lord of Chepstow, on 9 May 1131.It is situated in the village of Tintern in Monmouthshire

Margram Abbey Church
Margram Abbey church, near Port Talbot, Wales, a Cistercian monastery, founded by Robert, Earl of Gloucester, dedicated to St. Mary. The two towers were added later. Date: founded 1147

Senanque Abbey or Abbaye Notre-Dame de Senanque with lavender field in bloom, Gordes, Provence, France

Kirkstall Abbey. Doorway on the North Side, 1850s. Creator: Joseph Cundall
Kirkstall Abbey. Doorway on the North Side, 1850s

Ground Plan of Rievaulx Abbey, 1897. From The Ruined Abbeys of Britain by Frederick Ross. [William Mackenzie, London, 1897]

Furness Abbey, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria
View of the ruins of Furness Abbey (Cistercian), Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. Date: 1882

Melrose Abbey, Roxburghshire, Scotland
View of the ruins of Melrose Abbey (Cistercian), in Roxburghshire, Scotland. Date: 1882

Rievaulx Abbey, near Helmsley, North Yorkshire
View of the ruins of Rievaulx Abbey (Cistercian), near Helmsley, North Yorkshire. Date: 1882

Sweetheart Abbey, Cistercian abbey dating from the 13th and 14th centuries, New Abbey, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe

Kirkstall Abbey. From the West, 1850s. Creator: Joseph Cundall
Kirkstall Abbey. From the West, 1850s

Maulbronn Monastery complex

Roche Abbey
The ruins of the once beautiful Transcepts of Roche Abbey, south Yorkshire, England. This Cistercian abbey was founded in 1147, an was an off-shoot of Fountains Abbey. Date: 12th century

The 13th century Cistercian Sweetheart Abbey, founded by Devorgilla, Lady of Galloway, New Abbey, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe

Caldey Island, Wales - The Monastery
Caldey Island, Wales off the southwest coast near Tenby - The Cistercian Monastery. Date: circa 1930s

Melrose Abbey, first Cistercian settlement in Scotland, founded by David I in 1136, burial place of the heart of Robert the Bruce, Melrose, Scottish Borders, Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe

Aerial view of the Sant'Andrea Basilica of Vercelli at sunset in spring. Vercelli, Vercelli district, Piedmont, Italy.

Aerial view of the Sant'Andrea Basilica of Vercelli at sunset in spring. Vercelli, Vercelli district, Piedmont, Italy.

Aerial view of the Sant'Andrea Basilica of Vercelli at sunset in spring. Vercelli, Vercelli district, Piedmont, Italy.

Aerial view of the Sant'Andrea Basilica of Vercelli at sunset in spring. Vercelli, Vercelli district, Piedmont, Italy.

Aerial view of the Sant'Andrea Basilica of Vercelli at sunset in spring. Vercelli, Vercelli district, Piedmont, Italy.

Aerial view of the Sant'Andrea Basilica of Vercelli at sunset in spring. Vercelli, Vercelli district, Piedmont, Italy.

Jervaulx Abbey 28558_007
Jervaulx Cistercian Abbey ruins, North Yorkshire. Photographed from the air in 2014

8625816

Leopold V of Austria presenting the monks of Heiligenkreuz Abbey with a relic of the True Cross, 1188 (engraving)
8625853 Leopold V of Austria presenting the monks of Heiligenkreuz Abbey with a relic of the True Cross, 1188 (engraving) by Geiger

Courtyard and trees of the Thoronet Abbey
7125793 Courtyard and trees of the Thoronet Abbey; (add.info.: Courtyard and trees of the Thoronet Abbey. Abbey church Cistercian abbey built in the late twelfth and early thirteenth century)

Thoronet Abbey. The Abbey church
7125790 Thoronet Abbey. The Abbey church; (add.info.: The Thoronet abbey. The Abbey church. Bell tower, apse and cemetery. Cistercian abbey built in the late twelfth and early thirteenth century)

Thoronet Abbey. The Abbey church
7125788 Thoronet Abbey. The Abbey church; (add.info.: The Thoronet abbey. The Abbey church. Cistercian abbey built in the late twelfth and early thirteenth century)

Thoronet Abbey. The cloister
7125783 Thoronet Abbey. The cloister.; (add.info.: The Thoronet Abbey. The cloister. Cistercian abbey built in the late twelfth and early thirteenth century)

Thoronet Abbey. Pillar openings of the cloister
7125778 Thoronet Abbey. Pillar openings of the cloister; (add.info.: The Thoronet abbey. Pillar openings of the cloister. Cistercian abbey built in the late twelfth and early thirteenth century)

Thoronet Abbey. Pillar openings of the cloister
7125776 Thoronet Abbey. Pillar openings of the cloister; (add.info.: The Thoronet abbey. Pillar openings of the cloister. Cistercian abbey built in the late twelfth and early thirteenth century)

Eastern arcade of The Cloister of the Thoronet Abbey
7125766 Eastern arcade of The Cloister of the Thoronet Abbey; (add.info.: Eastern arcade of The Cloister of the Thoronet Abbey)

Garden of the Thoronet Abbey
7125761 Garden of the Thoronet Abbey; (add.info.: Garden of the Thoronet Abbey. Cistercian abbey built in the late twelfth and early thirteenth century)

Thoronet Abbey. Pillar openings of the cloister
7125781 Thoronet Abbey. Pillar openings of the cloister; (add.info.: The Thoronet abbey. Pillar openings of the cloister. Cistercian abbey built in the late twelfth and early thirteenth century)

Thoronet Abbey. Arcades of the cloister
7125779 Thoronet Abbey. Arcades of the cloister; (add.info.: The Thoronet abbey. Arcades of the cloister. Cistercian abbey built in the late twelfth and early thirteenth century)

Courtyard and trees of the Thoronet Abbey
7125796 Courtyard and trees of the Thoronet Abbey; (add.info.: Courtyard and trees of the Thoronet Abbey. Abbey church Cistercian abbey built in the late twelfth and early thirteenth century)

8625823

Abbey of Fontfroide. Benedictine abbey then Cistercian built in the 11th and 12th centuries. The cloister
JEB4920582 Abbey of Fontfroide. Benedictine abbey then Cistercian built in the 11th and 12th centuries. The cloister. Narbonne, Aude, Languedoc Roussillon (Languedoc-Roussillon), France

Reims, Marne (51), Champagne Ardenne, France, Les monines de la Trappe de Notre Dame d'Igny, 1870
LUX4729528 Reims, Marne (51), Champagne Ardenne, France, Les monines de la Trappe de Notre Dame d'Igny, 1870; (add.info.: Reims, Marne (51), Champagne Ardenne, France

Thoronet Abbey. Ruins in front of the lay brother's building
7125794 Thoronet Abbey. Ruins in front of the lay brother's building; (add.info.: The Thoronet abbey. Ruins in front of the lay brother's building)

Thoronet Abbey. The Abbey church
7125791 Thoronet Abbey. The Abbey church; (add.info.: The Thoronet abbey. The Abbey church. Bell tower, apse and cemetery. Cistercian abbey built in the late twelfth and early thirteenth century)

Thoronet Abbey. The cloister with the Pavillion of the lavabo
7125784 Thoronet Abbey. The cloister with the Pavillion of the lavabo; (add.info.: The Thoronet Abbey. The cloister with the Pavillion of the lavabo)

Thoronet Abbey. Pillar openings of the cloister
7125780 Thoronet Abbey. Pillar openings of the cloister; (add.info.: The Thoronet abbey. Pillar openings of the cloister. Cistercian abbey built in the late twelfth and early thirteenth century)

Thoronet Abbey. The cloister with the Pavillion of the lavabo
7125773 Thoronet Abbey. The cloister with the Pavillion of the lavabo; (add.info.: The Thoronet Abbey. The cloister with the Pavillion of the lavabo)

Thoronet Abbey. The cloister with the Pavillion of the lavabo
7125771 Thoronet Abbey. The cloister with the Pavillion of the lavabo; (add.info.: The Thoronet Abbey. The cloister with the Pavillion of the lavabo)

Thoronet Abbey.The cloister
7125770 Thoronet Abbey.The cloister; (add.info.: The Thoronet Abbey. The cloister. Cistercian abbey built in the late twelfth and early thirteenth century)

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"Cistercian: Exploring the Tranquil Beauty of Medieval Monasticism" Step into history and immerse yourself in the serene world architecture. From the awe-inspiring Margram Abbey Church to the picturesque Tintern Abbey in Wales, these sacred sites transport us back to a time when devotion and simplicity were paramount. Founded by St Bernard of Clairvaux, the Cistercians sought solace amidst nature, as seen in Kirkstall Abbey near Leeds, where lush greenery surrounds its ancient ruins. Similarly, Senanque Abbey captivates with its lavender fields in full bloom, creating a breathtaking harmony between man-made structures and natural beauty. Furness Abbey stands as a testament to the order's influence across borders; located in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, it showcases their architectural prowess even today. Joseph Cundall's 1850s depiction of Kirkstall Abbey from the west captures its grandeur and invites us to imagine life within those hallowed walls. Delve deeper into this monastic world with Rievaulx Abbey's ground plan from 1897 - an intricate blueprint that reveals meticulous planning behind every archway and cloister. Melrose Abbey in Scotland beckons visitors with its hauntingly beautiful ruins while Maulbronn Monastery complex offers a glimpse into daily life within these austere yet captivating surroundings. Roche Abbey whispers tales of spiritual contemplation through its crumbling stones while Rievaulx Abbey near Helmsley enchants with its tranquil setting amidst North Yorkshire's rolling hills. The legacy of the Cistercians lives on through these remarkable landmarks scattered throughout Europe. Each site tells a unique story - one that resonates with tranquility, devotion, and an unwavering commitment to faith. Embark on your own pilgrimage through time as you explore these hidden treasures steeped in centuries-old spirituality.