Architecture of Silence - Cistercian Abbeys of France

Published by Harry N. Abrams in association with Parabola Books, with a French co-edition by Editions de la Martiniere, Architecture of Silence is David Heald's book on the Cistercian abbeys of France. Beautifully designed by Eleanor Caponigro the book contains ninety seven plates in black and white tritone from separations by Robert Hennessey. The introductory text is by the noted architectural historian Terryl N. Kinder and includes historical notes on each abbey. A map of France indicating the site locations is included.

From the dust jacket:
The early Cistercian abbeys of France have long been revered for their exquisitely proportioned spaces and ethereal acoustics. Together with the great cathedrals, these remarkable medieval buildings embody the profound mastery of architecture that blossomed in twelfth and thirteenth century Europe. Built by the Cistercian monastic order nearly 900 years ago, these structures are renowned among contemporary architects and artists for the austere, almost minimal nature of their design and construction.

Cistercian architecture draws together the fundamentals of masonry and geometry to create a harmony of stone and light, of uncluttered interior volumes and modest external masses. The buildings and ruins that remain today are immensely, almost unspeakably refined. Upon entering le Thoronet or Senanque, Fontenay or Silvacane, one is deeply touched by the quality of the silence and light. Free by design of distracting details, these are places of recollection, of concentration.

David Heald's luminous photographs provide an extraordinary record of exploration through more than a decade of periodic visits to Cistercian places throughout France. He puts before us not just views but moments – moments when light enters a space or falls on an exterior in ways that illuminate and reveal. His evocative photographs offer loving witness to the bare brilliance, power, and subtlety of early Cistercian architecture.

This book is available for purchase through Parabola, Photo-Eye, Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, as well as other book retailers nationwide. The French edition of Architecture of Silence is available online from Amazon.fr.

Photographs by David Heald

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