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Origin and history

The Chartreuse Notre-Dame-du-Lys-du-Saint-Esprit, also known as Maison des Chartreux, was founded in Lyon in the 17th century after a decision of the general chapter of the order in 1580. The chosen site, La Giroflée, a land overlooking the Saône, was acquired in 1584 by the heirs of Stephen Mussio for ECU 3,800. Henry III, by authorizing the foundation, became its official founder. The works, begun in 1590 under the direction of architect Jean Magnan, progressed slowly due to financial difficulties, forcing even the recall of eight out of ten religious in 1602. It was only in 1615 that part of the church could be consecrated, and in 1616 an injection of funds by Lyon notables allowed the arrival of nineteen religious, relaunching the construction site.

Between 1614 and 1685, twenty-five cells were built, as were the grand-cloister (from 1604) and the small-cloister (from 1620). In 1628, prior Dom Léon Tixier obtained, after a long procedure involving Pope Urban VIII and Louis XIII, the meeting of the priory of Rosiers-en-Forez at the Chartreuse to strengthen his income. Despite this, the resources remained insufficient, leading in 1639 to the allocation of the income of the house of Poleteins by the general of the order, Just Perrot. The church was not completed until 1748, when its façade was completed only in 1870.

The French Revolution marked a turning point: in 1790 the monastic vows were abolished, and the community, made up of sixteen professes and twenty servants, was dispersed in 1791. The goods were sold as national goods, and the site was divided into eleven lots. Under the First Empire, Cardinal Joseph Fesch gradually purchased the buildings between 1808 and 1813 to establish his residence there, then the Society of Chartreux of Lyon, an ecclesiastical institute still active today. The church became parish in 1801.

The present architectural heritage includes elements classified or listed in the Historical Monuments, such as the small cloister (1630), the chapel of the Hosts (18th century stucco decor), or the large refectory (17th century woods). The Chapel of Chartreux, built between 1860 and 1864 by Tony Desjardins, completes this ensemble. At its peak, the Chartreuse also had external properties, including houses in Lyon, the land of Poleteins en Bresse, and the priory of Roziers in the Forez.

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