Abbaye Sainte-Madeleine du Barroux, Benedictine monastery in Le Barroux, France
The monastery features Romanesque architecture with thick stone walls, rounded arches, and small windows, constructed using regional limestone on a thirty-hectare site facing Mont Ventoux.
Founded in 1970 by Gérard Calvet, the monastery was officially recognized as an abbey in 1989 and joined the Benedictine Confederation in 2008, establishing traditional monastic practices.
The monks follow the Rule of Saint Benedict with eight daily offices chanted in Gregorian Latin, beginning at 3:30 in the morning and maintaining pre-Vatican II liturgical traditions.
Visitors can attend from Tuesday to Saturday between 14:30 and 17:15, and on Sunday from 14:45 to 17:15, with access to the monastic shop selling wines, olive oil, and bread.
The community is the only monastery in France where monks still wear the traditional tonsure, marking their dedication to ancient monastic customs and spiritual discipline.
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