The Abbey of Sénanque was founded in 1148.
It is the fourth Cistercian abbey to be built in Provence, in Gordes, after Le Thoronet, Aiguebelle and Silvacane.
The abbey of Sénanque remains one of the purest examples of this primitive Romanesque architecture.
The Church of the Sénanque Abbey is in imminent danger. Only one certainty: in the absence of any safeguarding work, the building will be permanently lost.
Several structural elements of the abbey church are alarmingly vulnerable:
- The stresses on the foundations are excessive in relation to the strength of the foundation ground
- The gabled walls are separated from the drip walls
- Steep slopes are observed on the drip walls
- The vault of the nave is on the edge of stability
The east aisle wall presents a serious stability problem that puts the entire building at risk of collapse.
Historically, this wall was counterbalanced by the natural terrain:
In the 19th century, the construction of a chapel served as a buttress.
When this building was destroyed in 1974, the east wall became free, without an abutment. This causes the building to shift.
The safeguarding project consists in the construction of buttresses that would make it possible to counter the church. Bending the bell tower dome would limit structural disorders. The installation of micropiles would strengthen the foundations of the abbey church.
Combined with a remeshing and stitching of cracks, a reconnection of the gabled walls to the drip walls, these techniques would save the church.
This solution also has the advantage of preserving the harmony of the architectural ensemble.
Collateral before the construction of the foothills/Collateral after the construction of the foothills
The budget for the safeguarding work amounts to 2,200,000.00 euros.
Among the main positions we find:
- Studies, fees: 200,000.00 euros
- The external and internal shoring of the church: 270,000.00 euros
- The construction of buttresses on the eastern collateral: 200,000.00 euros
- The installation of micro-piles to reinforce weakened foundations: 120,000.00 euros
- The pinning and chaining of the bell tower dome and gable facade: 150,000.00 euros
- The coulinage, patching, repointing: 200,000.00 euros
- The treatment of the facings, rebuilding of the masonry, reinforcement: 200,000.00 euros
The first step to reach for this crowdfunding campaign is 50,000 euros.
You can support this project:
- by an online donation by credit card on this page after registration on the Dartagnans website
- by a bank transfer after registration on the Dartagnans website
- Only for donations in euros: by sending a cheque, on the back of which you will indicate your e-mail address, made out to the following order "CCIC Abbaye de Sénanque", sent to the following address:
Dartagnans
Campaign Abbaye de Sénanque
1 rue de Châteaudun
75009 PARIS
FRANCE
All donors, regardless of the amount of the donation, are automatically entered in the contest to try to win a discovery of the Abbey as close as possible to the life of the monks of Sénanque: an overnight stay in the monastic hotel, a guided tour by a monk of Sénanque + an invitation to share their meal at the refectory of the Hotel + a time for exchange.
Find the rules of the contest here: https://s3.eu-central-1.amazon...
Elie Semoun, the early warning person.
Stéphane Bern who has made Sénanque a priority for the next "loto du patrimoine".
Connaissances des Arts, France Info, France Inter, France 2, France 3, La Croix, La Provence, Le Dauphiné Libéré, Le Figaro, Le Point, RTL, TF1, Sud Radio, Valeurs Actuelles ...
The Abbey of Sénanque is in imminent danger. Without you, without your support, we will not be able to save it from destruction. We cannot accept this tragedy and appeal to your generosity to ensure that this exceptional heritage, which belongs to no one, will continue to live for a long time to come. That belongs to all of us.
Contact email: [email protected]
Abbey Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/abbay...
Website: https://www.senanque.fr/
