Customer Reviews

Cistercian Abbeys: History and Architecture

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Well, I just received CISTERCIAN ABBEYS and I CAN TELL YOU - THIS IS MY SORT OF BOOK!Un-put-down-able.This thick glossy book has it all - every page has at least one picture or map. The pictures shown are clear and well taken. Depicted are the interior of the monastries, the turrets, the brickwork, the decorations, glorious photos of relics, the courtyards, the art. The text is well written, easy to understand & contains useful information. Another fine book by Konemann & I have many including BAROQUE, ROMANESQUE, ROME, CASTLES OF FRIULI, MEDIEVAL CASTLES OF SPAIN, CHATEAUX OF THE LOIRE VALLEY. Cannot be faulted and for a 399page h/bound volume inexpensive. A must. I change my travel plans every time I pick up any of my Konemann's.

This is an excellent coffee-table book, with outstanding photography of beautiful places. It is also an excellent architectural introduction and a fine review of the role of the Cistercians in European history. (Hint: it was major...) But I have another suggestion for enjoying your next visit to Europe. Schedule your travel with stops near each of the abbeys that intrigue you most. They are always serene, there are often musical events in them, they tend to be off the beaten track but to have excellent country restaurants in some nearby village, and they make good starting points for hiking since they are usually isolated. My favorites are Poblet in Spain, Senaque in France, and Maulbronn in Germany.

Like many of the books in Konemann's architectural series, this one offers copious quantities of beautiful photographs. The limited text is informative, intelligent and thankfully devoid of the quasi-theoretical nonsense that spoils so many architectural books. The critical architectural issues are explained but for the most part, the images are allowed to tell the story. Simplified, but effective plans and other diagrams complement the photos and text.

In an age when so-called "star" architects do more talking than building, it is refreshing to see these monasteries, built with humility and a sense of aesthetic understanding that is so absent in the architectural profession today.

I also recommend Lucien Herve's wonderful B+W photographs in "The Architecture of Truth: Thonet Abbey"