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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The convent of the Recollets of Briançon was founded in 1642, but it was only in 1702 that the religious obtained permission to settle inside the city's ramparts in the Roche district. The king gave them 10,000 pounds to compensate for the loss of their old land, requisitioned for the new fortifications, and to finance the construction of a new convent and chapel. The first stone of the church, dedicated to St. Peter of Alcantera, was laid on 29 May 1729, marking the beginning of a construction site which was registered in the first quarter of the 18th century.

The building, of elongated and narrow shape, consists of two distinct parts: a house body divided into three sections with various vaults, and a chapel with an irregular plane, rounded at the ends, occupying two floors. The northern facade, the only preserved intact, has an adorned portal reflecting the inner structure of the chapel. The basements, accessible by Roche Street, testify to the adaptation of the building to its urban and military environment.

In 1782 the convent was abolished, and its property was transferred to the local hospital, which then handed it over to the king in exchange for an annual rent. The premises were then converted into a grain warehouse for the troops, marking the end of his religious vocation. Today, only the facades and roofs, classified in 1978, recall this monastic heritage in the landscape of Briançon.

The location of the site, although documented (16 rue du Pont d的Asfeld), remains approximate, with cartographic accuracy deemed poor (level 5/10). Architectural vestiges, such as the arched vaults or the decorated gate, however, offer valuable clues to the construction techniques and religious uses of the era.

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