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Origin and history

The Chartreuse de Vauclaire, located in Montpon-Ménesterol in the Dordogne, finds its origins in a Conventual Priory attested since 1178 under the name of Capella de Valas. It was officially founded in the early 14th century, around 1315 (or between 1328 and 1350 according to the sources), thanks to the support of the sons of the Count of Périgord Hélie IX: Archambaud IV, Hélie and Roger-Bernard. They choose its location, its missions (including prayers for the deceased of their family) and its means of subsistence. The monastery, flourishing in the Middle Ages, has since its creation undergone troubles related to regional conflicts.

During the Hundred Years War, the monks were driven by the dominant English in Guyenne. Some remain there, while others take refuge in Bordeaux, where they found a hermitage thanks to donations (notably those of Pierre Maderan in 1383 and Arnaud Andra in 1425). They returned to Vauclaire in 1460. The wars of Religion marked a new tragic turning point: three monks who remained were killed by Protestant troops, and the abbey was burned. The monastery, abandoned, was reborn only in the seventeenth century, when the Chartreux returned in 1616 to rebuild it.

The French Revolution dispersed the seventeen religious and three conversants present in 1793, forced into exile in Italy and Spain. The buildings, sold to local owners, were purchased by the Chartreux in 1858. A major fire in 1864 ravaged part of the site, probably caused by sparks in carpentry workshops. Despite this catastrophe, monastic life lasted until 1901, when Combes laws permanently expelled the monks. Their properties are dispersed: statues, retables and stalls join local churches such as Montpon or Périgueux.

In the 20th century, the Chartreuse underwent two major conversions. During the First World War, she became a military hospital for American troops, her chapel serving as a mess for officers. By 1919, she was transformed into a psychiatric hospital, hosting up to 1,500 patients during the Second World War, despite the initial capacity of 700 places. A cemetery was even established in 1941 for undernourishment and war-related deaths. In 2014, the buildings were finally listed as historic monuments, recognizing their heritage value.

The Conventual Church, typical of medieval cartreuses with its rectangular bedside and apse, houses 14th century frescoes. Part of its furniture, such as 17th century Chartreux statues or a altarpiece, was preserved in religious buildings in Dordogne. Today, the Chartreuse bears witness to both monastic history, French political upheavals and its adaptation to modern health needs.

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