Centre des monuments nationaux

Come and discover Montmajour abbey, founded in 948 in the middle of the Arles countryside, and its eight centuries of architectural history for which it obtained UNESCO World Heritage listing. Come and be charmed by this great site and the protected surrounding countryside, an ideal spot for meditation.

Visiting Montmajour abbey 

• Two series of monastic buildings. The visit starts in the crypt beneath the nave of the Romanesque abbey church of Our Lady, and continues with the cloisters (late 12th to 14th century) that are famous for their sculpted capitals. The abbey church has two separate levels, and this is unique in Provence. After passing though a surprising cemetery with tombs cut into the rock you arrive at the Pons de l'Orme Tower, which was fortified during the Hundred Years' War (14th and 15th centuries), with panoramic views over Arles, Tarascon, La Crau and the Alpilles. The visit finishes with the 10th-century Saint Peter hermitage, currently undergoing restoration and the late 12th-century Chapel of the Holy Cross, a masterpiece of Provencal Romanesque architecture. The visit then moves on to the remains of the second series of abbey buildings, the Saint Maur monastery (1703-1736) and its ‘little staircase'. 

• A renowned centre for photographic exhibitions. All year round the abbey houses exhibitions of both contemporary and heritage collections, in conjunction with the Rencontres d'Arles in the summer.

Understanding Montmajour abbey 

• A source of inspiration for modern and contemporary art. One of the people to be fascinated by the site was Van Gogh (1853-1890) who did many drawings there in 1888-1889. Ascension, the work by Alain Kirili (b. 1946) for the abbey choir, is a homage to his use of thick layers of colour.