Jean Guyou

VAR MATIN - Agust 2005

COGOLIN - THE BEAUTIFUL HISTORY OF THE ABBEY OF THE THORONET
Jean Guyou was born in 1943. It is the downward one of an old Burgundian family originating in Auxerrois since XVIIéme century.
Parallel to a career related to accountancy, it was interested in painting, the Romanesque art, fishing at sea, inter alia.
Here it is Cogolinois integrated well into the local life within the Communal Committee of Fires of Forests. Since 1965 its love for Provence and more especially for the VAr, made him discover many places and splendid sites. Currently to the retirement it leads various activities.
A specific research concerning the abbey of Thoronet wonder of the Romanesque art and acoustics was the object first book, on the topic of the design of an abbey. A reference document which aims at sensitizing the public on the architectural richness of this marvellous abbey.
A shared step more than of others, the abbey of Thoronet, if modest in the beginning, became this bench mark, like main thing even of the order and art cistercian, symbol of a completely interiorized spirituality and perfect expression of a "functional" architecture to so modern resonances. "What could be more enthralling than to devote to him of its time, than one is a researcher, historian or writer, It is the personal step of Jean Guyou, and it can make it divide". Thus expresses Joelle Barthez, administrator of the abbeys of Silvacane and Thoronet, in préface it of the second book of Jean Guyou "Thoronet, birth, life, decline and resurrection".
The abbey was thus founded of alive of Saint-Bernard, in the first years of life of the time cistercian. As all the cistercians abbeys that of Thoronet would be dedicated to Marie. The site chosen in a field offered by the count Raimond-Béranger is very isolated in the medium from the forests. On this place one finds two rivers, a source and an underground river. The place chosen with hillside obliged a design of the work on several levels.
The church occupying the point more raised, is it even built on two levels. The rock is higher bathonien (limestone benches). Its quality is not exceptional, but it has the advantage of being on the site of the future construction. The first part of this book comes to supplement the preceding study, One includes understands better the control of work of this construction of XIIème in XIIIéme century. The second part relates to the history of this monastery from its construction to the recent restoration. The author does not forget to evoke the exceptional sonority of this abbey. The author attaches also a great importance to the description of the site and the evocation of symbolism, significant part of the Community and liturgical life of the monks. A reading to be deprived under any pretext.
Jean-Pierre GHIS