Former Chartreuse of Val-Dieu à Feings dans l'Orne

Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Chartreuse Notre-Dame du Val-Dieu was founded on 29 June 1170 by Rotrou IV, Count of Perche, in the forest of Réno-Valdieu, on the commune of Feings (Orne). A first church was consecrated in 1181. The monastery, originally intended for Saint Bruno's religious, was enlarged in the 13th century, but suffered destruction during the Hundred Years' War and the Wars of Religion. The founders, Hugues de Courlessain and his wife Agathe, were buried there after attending his creation.

In the 18th century, the Chartreuse was entirely rebuilt under the direction of the Benedictine religious R. P. J.-B. Misery, according to a symmetrical axial plane typical of classical architecture. The buildings, organized around a large cloister and French-style gardens, were decorated with panelling, marbles and paintings, including two works by Philippe de Champaigne and Nicolas-René Jollaine, now preserved at the museum of Alençon. A engraving by Nicolas-Jean-Baptiste de Poilly (1769) testifies to his appearance before the Revolution.

During the French Revolution (1798), Val-Dieu was demolished and looted. Its furniture elements (woodworks, stalls, pulpit) were scattered in neighbouring churches, such as those of Mortagne-au-Perche or Bellême, while the panel of the library was transferred to Alençon. Today, only the portery (1760), the chapel of the Ladies (or Sainte-Anne) and the old pharmacy, rebuilt in the 19th century, remain. The site, classified as a historic monument in 1997, also includes remains of the walls, ditches and ponds of the original hydraulic system.

The Chartreuse, now privately owned, was a place of prayer and retreat for the Chartreux monks, combining hermitic and community life. Its spatial organization reflected this duality: the large cloister housed the individual cells of the monks (hermitages), while the common spaces (church, refectory, library) were located near the minor cloister. After the Revolution, the estate was converted into a farm and partially restored in the 19th century. Today, it is only accessible on the occasion of European Heritage Days.

The history of Val-Dieu is marked by figures such as Peter II of Alençon, Count of Perche, who was buried there in 1404 with his daughter Jeanne, and who contributed to his enlargement. A 17th century painting, preserved at the Grand Chartreuse, represents the monastery before its reconstruction in 1760. Excavations and remains (towers, ditches, terminals) testify to its past importance, while the surrounding forest, classified in 2003, preserves its historical setting.

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