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Origin and history

The convent of the Ursulines of Marcigny, located in Place Reverchon, was founded in the middle of the seventeenth century by nuns of the order of Sainte-Ursule. Arrived on April 21, 1643, they first settled in the house of St.Christophus, blessed on April 25 (the feast of St. Mark), before building the current convent. Their mission was to educate girls and help the poorest. The building, typical of the religious architecture of the time, reflected the educational and charitable commitment of Ursulines in the region.

In 1792 the District Executive Board confiscated the convent during the Revolution. Father Benoît Guillard bought him back to establish a college of boys, replacing the former convent of the Recollets, which had become a town hall. In 1793 the Société Populaire de Marcigny sat there and set up a prison. These changes illustrate the political and social upheavals of the revolutionary period, where ecclesiastical goods were often reassigned to public uses.

In the 19th century, Abbé Guillard sold the building to the municipality in 1815-1820. It was transformed into a higher and agricultural primary school and later became a boys' school, only welcoming girls from the 1970s onwards. This evolution reflects the changes in public education in France, moving from a gendered education to a gradual mix. Today, the left wing (old chapel) houses a cinema, while the central body and right wing house the elementary school Lucie Aubrac.

In 2003, works in the cinema revealed a 17th century painted decoration on the ceiling of the chapel, attributed to architect Jeresmie de La Rue (plan dated 1678). This artistic treasure, composed of allegorical figures, angel musicians and plant motifs, was inscribed in the historical monuments on November 26, 2010, with the frame and walls carrying it. These discoveries highlight the heritage importance of the site, combining local history and baroque art.

The convent, owned by the commune, thus embodies four centuries of history: from its religious foundation to its contemporary secular uses. Its architecture and painted decorations make it a rare testimony of the Ursulines heritage in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, while illustrating the successive adaptations of a monument to the service of the community.

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