The Abbey of Noirlac

In the department of Cher, not very far from Bourges, the abbey of Noirlac was founded in 1136 by one of Saint Bernard’s nephews. The abbey progressively grows rich and lives its golden age around 1250.

Fortified during the Hundred Years’ War, sold at the Revolution, it was restored at the beginning of the 20th century. The architecture respects Saint Bernard’s precepts. The volumes are clearly articulated, and the geometric stylization makes a discreet decor.

The exceptional preservation of the conventual buildings, the structure of which illustrates the unchanging rhythm of the monks’ life, makes Noirlac one of the most beautiful monastic French sites.