Architecture of Truth : The Cistercian Abbey of Le Thoronet

The Abbey of Le Thoronet in Provence, one of the wonders of 12th-century Cistercian architecture, was restored in the 19th century and consists of an austere church, a cloister and 12th-century monastic buildings.

This book is a pictorial appreciation of Le Thoronet, photogrmaphed by the French photographer Lucien Herve in the mid-1950s and introduced by Le Corbusier, master of 12th-century architecture and admirer of the Romanesque abbey.

Herve's study presents the building throughout the course of a day, depicting the changing play of light and shadow on its stone vaulted exterior and interior.

An essay is included by Father Samuel of the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Sept-Fons, and an afterword by John Pawson.