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Origin and history

The Abbey of Notre-Dame de Boscodon, located in Crots in the Hautes-Alpes, is founded in 1142 by Cenobit monks of the order of Chalais, thanks to the gifts of Guillaume de Montmirail. She succeeded a group of hermits gathered around Guillaume de Lyonne. In 1303 she became chief of order after Chalais' dependence on the Chartreuse, then passed under the Benedictine rule in the 15th century. The monks live there from logging, agriculture and sheep rearing. In the 18th century, some of the buildings were destroyed during the Commission des Reguliers, and the Abbey was attached to the Archdiocese of Embrun.

During the French Revolution, the abbey was confiscated as a national property and sold to Joseph Berthe, who turned it into a farm. A hamlet develops around the abbey, used as stables or housing. In the 20th century, the site was gradually abandoned. In 1972, restoration work began, carried out by the Association of Friends of Boscodon Abbey and the Dominican community, including Sister Jeanne-Marie, a central figure in her 40-year renaissance. Restorations, based on archaeological excavations and archives (such as a 1706 estimate for the wing of the Officers), ended in 2012 with the inauguration of the cloister.

The abbey, Cistercian Romanesque architecture, is distinguished by its geometric and symbolic simplicity (7 vaults, solar orientation). Classified as a historic monument in 1989 (cell) and 1999 (conventual buildings), it now hosts 90,000 visitors annually. The Saint-Dominique community, located there, organizes offices, concerts and workshops. The site, awarded for its welcome in 1989, combines religious heritage, tourism and spiritual life.

The restorations involved a variety of actors: volunteers, donors, communities (Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Département des Hautes-Alpes), and state services (DRAC, Chief Architect of Historic Monuments). Media, such as the Alex Hugo series (2021) or a German documentary on the Alps, highlighted its history. The Abbey remains a living testimony to medieval monasticism and its contemporary preservation.

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