Abbeys and monasteries, fascinating institutions, witnesses of a rich cultural, religious and sometimes mystical past, full of traditional customs and rites untouched by time.

All over Europe we visit very different types of monasteries, from modern such as Le Corbusier to Romanesque and baroc. In Romania, Bulgaria and Russia we encounter the splendour of byzantine monasteries. In Egypt, Greece and Israel we go back to the origin of monastic life.

Each episode describes the past and present life of the monastic orders- Roman-Catholic, Orthodox and Coptic – the meaning of contemplative life, their historical, cultural and theological attitudes. Every monastery is characterized by its own specific tradition and history.

The monks and nuns tell their own story and give us an insight into all aspects of their secluded life. They astonish us through their great knowledge and their sometimes very modern way of thinking.

The series “The Abbeys and Monasteries’, takes us back into time granting us an exceptional opportunity to meet the present inhabitants of monasteries. You will share with them the intimacy of their traditional life and work.

Monasteries support themselves and therefore often have their own vegetable garden, vineyard, far, and workshops. “Ora et Labora’ is their motto – prayer and work -.

The ‘Abbeys and Monasteries’ brings together ancient history and modern time; a true taste of immortality.

44 x 30 minutes