Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Chartreuse Sainte-Marie de Portes, founded in 1115 by Benedictine monks Bernard and Ponce, is the third monastery of the Cartusian order in seniority and the second in France after the Great Chartreuse. Located at an altitude of 1,000 metres in the Bugey Mountains, it is nicknamed the 'Charter of Saints' because of the number of monks beatified or canonized. The founders, in search of an eremitical life, obtain from the diocese of Lyon the rights in this isolated territory, where they establish a community under the Cartus rule.

In the 12th century, Portes experienced rapid growth, acquiring land through donations, exchanges or purchases, despite a harsh climate and recurrent conflicts with neighbouring villages and the Priory of Ordonnaz. The popes and local lords, like the Counts of Savoy, protect and confirm his privileges. The economy of the monastery is based on logging, breeding and agriculture, with barns and mills acquired over the centuries. The Chartreux de Portes play a major spiritual and political role in the region, despite tensions with neighbouring communities.

The French Revolution marked a turning point: in 1791 the monks were expelled and the property of the nationalized monastery. After a secular period when the Chartreuse was transformed into a farm, it was bought by the Cartusian order in 1855. A community settled there until 1901, when an anti-congregation law led to further expulsion. In 1952, the Chartreuse de Sélignac purchased Portes, and a community established there again in 1971. Since then, the monastery has remained a place of monastic life and prayer.

The Chartreuse de Portes is marked by its austere architecture and its turbulent history, including partial destruction, reconstruction and legal conflicts. Several of his priors, such as Anthelme de Chignin and Stephen de Châtillon, became bishops or were recognized for their holiness. The site, partially classified as a historical monument in 1947, preserves medieval elements and traces of its various periods of occupation.

The Arms of Doors, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, often represent her monogram or image, as on the medieval seals of the monastery. These symbols reflect the Marian devotion of the Chartreux, central in their spirituality. The Chartreuse, despite its historical peripets, remains a symbol of hermitic life and religious perseverance in Bugey.

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