Throughout Europe, some of the most arresting sites are Cistercian monasteries, where even the most jaded travelers are bewitched by their breathtaking beauty and simplicity. This stunningly photographed architectural study is the most complete visual record available. The feeling of serenity this architecture evokes pervades every cloister, refectory and chapter house with an almost magical sense of harmony.
Stephen Tobin gives a detailed and insightful account of the founding and development of the Cistercian Order, which swept across Europe in the twelfth century. His discussion of architectural practice and the precepts of design behind these enduring monasteries is invaluable; maps covering all of Europe, instructive tables and over too magnificent photographs detail all the male abbeys founded during the Middle Ages, highlighting their style and accessibility. An appendix provides useful information on those converted into hotels, guest houses or restaurants.
Author(s): Stephen Tobin
Publisher: The Overlook Press
Year: 1996
Language: English
Pages: 240
City: Woodstock, New York
Acknowledgements 6
Introduction 10
1. The Foundation in the Desert 24
2. Bernard of Fontaines 48
3. The Abbey: Foundation, Construction, Layout and Resources 74
4. The Monks, the Monastery and the Monastic Day 133
5. From St. Bernard to the French Revolution 139
Postscript. After the Storm: 1789 to the Present Day 182
Appendix A. A Description of Clairvaux 189
Appendix B. The Abbeys: a Gazetteer 194
Appendix C. Staying in a Cistercian Abbey 231
Notes 236
Further Reading 236
Index 238
