Noirlac Abbey Cistercian abbey - Cultural meeting place

Designed by landscape architect Gilles Clément, the gardens give structure to the space by offering a new perspective on the abbey from the southern entrance to the monument, creating a link between the disorder of the bocage and the rigor of the Cistercian buildings. From the moment you enter, the enclosure of Judean trees, the paths of grasses, the pond and the room of changing roses invite you to contemplate, emphasizing the purity of the monument’s architectural lines. In the heart of the cloister, around the flowering well, the sky is reflected in clouds of perennials, simple and aromatic plants. Further on, the oriental gardens, with their light white tones, lead up to the magnificent avenue of two-hundred-year-old lime trees.

On the banks of the Cher, Noirlac Abbey watches over its bocage, worked by Cistercian monks as early as the 12th century. Still used for livestock farming, it has retained its original appearance, with meadows surrounded by hedges. Now a “sensitive natural area”, it is home to a wealth of flora and fauna, including protected species such as the European bee-eater, the bank swallow and the great capricorn beetle, an insect that lives only on hundred-year-old oak trees.

Noirlac Abbey offers an immersive, innovative and atypical experience thanks to the résoNance project, from the exterior of the abbey to the interior spaces.

To the rhythm of music and sound, navigate from one space to another, discovering the monument. You’ll discover its unique features and astonishing acoustics, which will leave you speechless. All the sound and music installations in the résoNance project are the result of collaborations with artists who share a love of this magical place. Each creation has its own artistic identity, testifying to the cultural richness of this auditory experience.