The abbey owes its name to the reedy marshes of the Durance, on the banks of which it is located: ‘silva cannorum’, the reed forest. Silvacane Abbey, formerly known as Sauvecanne Abbey, is a Cistercian abbey founded in 1144 by monks from Morimond Abbey. Along with Sénanque and Thoronet, Silvacane is one of three Cistercian abbeys in Provence known as the ‘three Provençal sisters’, bearing witness to the great influence of the Cistercian order in Provence.

In 1175, Bertrand des Baux undertook the construction of the church, where he is buried. A conflict with the abbey of Montmajour eroded its aura. The sacking of the monastery in 1358 by the Lord of Aubignan and the great frosts of 1364, which wiped out the olive and wine harvests, led to its decline and, finally, the flooding of the Durance in 1440 destroyed the monastery.

It became the parish church of La Roque-d'Anthéron in the early 16th century, and was damaged during the Wars of Religion. When the French Revolution broke out, the buildings were abandoned, divided into lots and sold as national property in 1790. They were transformed into a farm. It now belongs to the town of La Roque d'Anthéron.

A map of the Abbey