Royal monastery of Brou (Bourg-en-Bresse, France)

by BHotography

Nice spatial vista through the Gothic vaults of the imposing Brou monastery, taken on the 1st floor. At this height, a beautifully carved stone traverse zigzags between the gigantic columns. Walking across this traverse under the vaults is special: you imagine yourself in a Harry Potter film, on the moving staircases of Hogwarts, or in an etching by Maurits Cornelis Escher.

The Royal Monastery of Brou is a religious complex in the French town of Bourg-en-Bresse, more specifically in the suburb of Brou. A masterpiece of Brabant High Gothic from the first half of the 16th century, the Royal Monastery of Brou has, unusually for France, three cloister courtyards that had different functions. The spaces around the cloister court next to the church were intended for guests. The largest cloister offered the monks peace and quiet to meditate or pray while walking. The cloister at the back housed the kitchen, the ovens, a prison, a room for the servants and a room for the monk in charge of material affairs. In addition, there were two chapter rooms, which was also unusual.

The photo was taken in black and white to better express the typical lines in the Gothic structure: the columns, vaults and finely crafted railings. The interplay of lines speaks for itself, with the perspective over the walkway making for very three-dimensional images.
Since the imposingly high church is lit only with natural light through the Gothic windows, I had to apply special lighting to obtain the final balanced image with a high dynamic range.