Installation authorisation 1617 (≈ 1617)
Municipal agreement for Oratorians.
1624
Acquisition of land
Acquisition of land 1624 (≈ 1624)
House bought rue de l'Oratoire.
1642
First church stone
First church stone 1642 (≈ 1642)
Construction begins.
1775-1782
Reconstruction of buildings
Reconstruction of buildings 1775-1782 (≈ 1779)
Works led by Pons and Dijon.
1789
Sale as a national good
Sale as a national good 1789 (≈ 1789)
Transfer to the Revolution.
23 mars 1990
Registration Historic Monument
Registration Historic Monument 23 mars 1990 (≈ 1990)
Protection of facades and gardens.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Façades and roofs on street, courtyard and garden; fence wall on street with its portals; fountains of the courtyard and garden; stairwell with its wrought iron ramp; garden with terrace, pond, alleys and beds (cad. IL 166 to 171, 174, 175, 177, 90): entry by order of 23 March 1990
Key figures
Pons et fils - Architects
Reconstruction of buildings (1775-1782).
Dijon - Former King's Engineer
Collaboration with the agreed work.
Origin and history
The former convent of the Oratory came into being in 1617, when the city of Clermont-Ferrand authorized the installation of the Oratorian congregation. The latter settled near the Ursulines, intramural, and acquired in 1624 a house along the present Oratory Street. The laying of the first stone of the church took place in 1642, marking the beginning of a construction project that extended over several decades. This site became a central place for local religious and community life.
The convent buildings, organized around an inner courtyard and a garden, were entirely rebuilt between 1775 and 1782 under the direction of the architects Pons et fils, then Dijon, a former engineer of the king. The complex consisted of a main house body, flanked by wings in return of square, a chapel to the east, and a west wing overlooking the garden. These spaces, including courtyards, ponds and terraces, were sold as national goods during the Revolution.
The convent was partially preserved by an inscription in the title of the Historical Monuments in 1990. This decree protected facades, roofs, the fence wall with its gates, fountains of courtyards and gardens, as well as the wrought iron stairwell. Today, the site bears witness to the religious architecture of the 17th and 18th centuries, while integrating remarkable landscape elements such as aisles, beds and a basin.
The historic address of the convent, located at numbers 8 to 16 of the Oratory Street, confirms its anchoring in the city centre of Clermont-Ferrand. Although the accuracy of its location is considered mediocre (note 5/10), the archives and the cadastre (parcelles IL 166 to 177) make it possible to trace its urban and heritage footprint.
