The Abbey of Noirlac, built from 1150 by Cistercian monks, returned to its original configuration after a major restoration completed in 1980, and offered a contemporary wink with the installation of new stained glass windows commissioned to visual artist Jean-Pierre Raynaud.
Around the monument, the development of the gardens was entrusted to the landscape architect Gilles Clément who discovered Noirlac in 2008. Without implementing a reconstruction of the gardens, he seeks to bring the abbey into dialogue with its environment by redrawing the links between the architectural order of the monument and the natural disorder of the plots of the bocage to magnify the site and invite you to daydream.
Several stages of work will follow one another but already blooms are to be discovered. The garden of changing roses, the cloister garden with its medicinal and condiment plants are among the ornamental parts and, later, will be born from the orchards on the eastern terraces of the monument, a moving garden will be born in the southern meadow, while the plots on the hillsides overlooking the abbey to the north will be planted with local grape varieties to produce wine as the monks did in the past…
As a partner of Rendez-vous aux jardins, Binette & Jardin likes Gilles Clément’s approach, concerned with “connecting with the history, the spatial and domestic economy of a community of monks, the landscape and its conformation, the relief, the river, the connections with the city, the intelligence of the site”. The strength of art, the call to spirituality, the power of architecture are taken into account among other more physical and material elements, which contributes to the challenge of this balanced, harmonious and happy project. around the central object, the abbey magnified by the clarity of its stones: we find there “the transmission of knowledge”, theme 2021 of the Rendez-vous aux jardins event.
Our favorite for the Rendez-vous aux jardins 2021
On the occasion of the Rendez-vous aux jardins 2021, the Noirlac Abbey site emphasizes its natural environment by inviting visitors to a welcome “green break” after this period of confinement. Throughout the weekend, guided tours of the gardens, entertainment (Herbalism as seen by Pascale Marcq, reading for children by Sophie Barron, drawing competitions, etc.), AB aromatics market (Aromat’O Plant, Herberry – Mathieu Guesdon) , installations (L’arbre à grazing, On the trail of writing, etc.) will be offered.
Contact & info
Noirlac Abbey
366 Blacklake
18200 Bruere-Allichamps
Tel: 02 48 62 01 01
[email protected]
https://www.abbayedenoirlac.fr/labbaye/gardens/
The venue will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Guided tours of the gardens at 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Exceptional price: free
Written by Nathalie on 05/25/2021