Noirlac Abbey Cistercian abbey - Cultural meeting centre

Designed by landscape gardener Gilles Clément, the gardens give structure to the space by offering a new perspective of the abbey from the southern entrance to the monument; they create a link between the disorder of the hedged farmland and the rigour of the Cistercian buildings. As soon as you arrive, the walled garden of Judas trees, the alleys of grasses, the pond and the room of changing roses invite you to contemplate and underline the purity of the architectural lines of the monument. In the heart of the cloister, around the flowering well, the sky is reflected in clouds of perennials, simple plants and aromatic herbs. 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 River, Noirlac Abbey watches over its hedged farmland, worked by Cistercian monks from the twelfth century onwards. Still used for livestock farming, it has retained its original appearance, with meadows surrounded by hedges. Now a designated 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 is offering an immersive, innovative and atypical experience thanks to the résoNance project, from the outside of the abbey to the interior spaces.

To the rhythm of the music and sounds, 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.