Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Carmel of Abbeville was founded in 1636 by Carmelites from Amiens, under the name "Jesus Maria". Originally installed on Rue Saint-Gilles, the monastery was abolished during the French Revolution (1789-1799), its buildings partially destroyed and reassigned to prison, court and gendarmerie. The remaining remains disappeared during the bombings of May 1940, closing the history of the first Carmel.

The Concordat of 1801 allowed the rebirth of the community. In 1802, the Carmelites settled in the old convent of the Carmelites (place Saint-Pierre), then in 1821 in the Capuchins, rue des Capucins, where they built a chapel and cells. The site will house the nuns until 1998, when the town of Abbeville acquired the place to become the Maison du Patrimoine, dedicated to culture and exhibitions.

The architectural complex, made of brick, includes 17th century buildings (mural paintings of the Capuchins, including a discovery in 2010 depicting Christ dead), a 19th century chapel (with a painting by Jules-Marc Chamerlat, classified in 2017), and structured gardens (verger, vegetable garden, cloister). Carmel and the house of the Touring Sisters (1934) have been listed at the Historic Monuments since 2021. The last Carmelites joined the Carmel of Caen after 1998.

The gardens, open to the public, keep traces of the 19th century layouts: staircases, palmettes, and a flowered basin. The orchard, a part of Emonville Park, illustrates the horticultural heritage of the monastery. Today, the site combines heritage preservation and cultural activities (exhibitions, concerts), while at the same time testifying to the abbevillois monastic history.

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