Monasteries of Europe

Season 1

Europe has been intertwined for centuries with a network of cathedrals, churches, chapels, abbeys and monasteries at the crossroads of the arts, sciences and cultures. Are these historic places museums or still inhabited by religious?

Where to Watch Season 1

5 Episodes

At the Water's Edge
E1
At the Water's EdgeMonks and sisters built impressive buildings at the water's edge : Mont-Saint-Michel (France) animated by the Fraternities of Jerusalem or the monastery of the Benedictines on Lake Chiemsee in Bavaria (Germany)…
From the Back of the World
E2
From the Back of the WorldSisters and brothers often sought to isolate themselves until they reached the end of the world. Saint Gregory of Tatev in Armenia hides at the top of an inaccessible mountain. It is animated by a single monk, an exception!
Unusual
E3
UnusualMonasteries that are both timeless and in our time. In Bavaria, a monastery that animates the economic and cultural life of the region. In Georgia, a monastery in a troglodyte site.
Pilgrimages
E4
PilgrimagesSt. Nino in Georgia is a monastery animated by sisters who have restored this ravaged site by the communists. The source discovered by Saint Nino in the 4th century according to tradition attracts pilgrims again. Santiago de Compostela is the destination of the biggest pilgrimage in Europe.
Souvenirs
E5
SouvenirsMont Sainte Odile has artistic treasures including the astonishing mosaic of the Gentile and Bordet artists celebrating the Victory of the Allies against Nazism. The Benedictine monastery of Göttweig is known for its library, its thirty-two thousand engravings including Dürer and Michelangelo and these moving statuettes of the Madonna with foeutus.