Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Chartreuse de Bonpas, located in Caumont-sur-Durance in the Vaucluse, finds its origins in the 12th century under the impulse of the hospitals of Saint John of Jerusalem. The site, originally called Malus Passus (bad passage) due to the difficulties in crossing the Durance, became Bonus Passus (good passage) after the monks' development. A Romanesque chapel, built around the year 800 above the presumed graves of Frank warriors, marks the beginnings of the place. The Chartreux settled there in 1320 under the aegis of Pope John XXII, transforming the priory into a prosperous Chartreuse, financed by local cardinals and donors.

In the Middle Ages, the site plays a strategic role with the construction of a bridge (damaged before the 13th century) and a ferry crossing the Durance, a source of income for religious. The Wars of Religion spare the Chartreuse, which was a golden age in the 17th century with the addition of cells, cloisters and a capitular room. In 1792, the Chartreux were expelled during the Revolution, and the estate, sold as a national property, became a stone quarry before being bought in 1841 by Grenaud's family.

In the 19th century, the Chartreuse was partially preserved: the hotel and the chapel Notre-Dame (classified historic monument in 1950) remained. In 1942, Pierre Olphe-Galliard restored it and developed a wine estate, still active today. The site, surrounded by vineyards and close to Avignon, combines religious heritage, medieval and modern architecture, and wine production. Napoleon stopped there in 1814, evoking his potential as a place of spiritual retreat.

The French-style gardens, the wine cellars and the remains of monastic buildings testify to its evolution, between religious, economic (peaches, vineyards) and cultural functions. The chartreuse also illustrates the changes of monastic orders, from hospitals to charters, through templars, reflecting ecclesiastical and political powers in Provence.

Future

Its wine cellar allows you to taste wines from the Rhône valley and other wineries such as Burgundy, Beaujolais, Languedoc. An introduction to wine tasting is possible by appointment.

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