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Origin and history

The Chartreuse Notre-Dame-du-Val-de-Bénédiction was founded in 1356 by Pope Innocent VI, born Étienne Aubert, on land acquired in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon from 1342. A former lawyer who became a pontiff, he turned his cardinal residence into a Cartusian monastery after considering electing the general of the Chartreux, Jean Birelle, as pope. Work began in 1353, with the construction of the large cloister, the church and thirteen cells for the monks. The solemn consecration took place in 1358, in the presence of Innocent VI and twelve cardinals. The pope, originally from the Monts (Corrèze), was buried there in 1362 in a chapel dedicated to the Holy Trinity, richly decorated.

After the fire of the pontifical palace in 1365, the pope's nephews, cardinals Étienne Aubert and Pierre de Selve (known as Monteruc), completed the work by adding the cloister Saint John and twelve new cells. The Chartreuse became one of the richest in the kingdom thanks to the land donations of Aubert and local families, including land around Avignon, Uzes, and even the dried ponds of Pujaut in the 17th century. These revenues make it possible to embellish the monastery and finance works of art, such as the frescoes of Matteo Giovannetti in the chapel Saint John the Baptist, carried out around 1354-1355.

In the 17th century, the Chartreuse enriched a monumental portal designed by François de Royers de La Valfenière (1648-1649), and welcomed Louis XIV in 1660. In 1691, thirty-eight stalls carved by Charles Boisselin decorated the church choir. However, the French Revolution put an end to this prosperity: the monastery was confiscated in 1790, sold as a national property in 1793, then divided into 286 plots at the end of the 19th century. The buildings become houses or agricultural spaces, while its furniture and library (9,200 volumes in 1791) are dispersed.

In the 20th century, the state began a slow rehabilitation. In 1909, the architect Jules Formigé began the first restoration work. In 1973, the Chartreuse became a cultural meeting centre, welcoming artists and theatrical companies under the auspices of CIRCA (International Centre for Creative and Animation Research). Since 1990, the Centre national des écritures du spectacle (CNES) has developed an ambitious project: to make this place a "Villa Médicis à la française", dedicated to contemporary dramatic writings and to la francophonie. In 2019, the Ministère de la Culture awarded him the title of "place of reference for dramatic writings from La Francophonie".

The site preserves remarkable remains, such as the tomb of Innocent VI (14th century), saved in extremis in the 19th century, or the frescoes of the chapel Saint John Baptist, attributed to Matteo Giovannetti. These paintings, inspired by the life of Saint John the Baptist and the Passion of Christ, are among the rare examples of pontifical wall decorations preserved in France. The Chartreuse also houses medieval cloisters (large cloister, cloister of the dead, cloister Saint John), a convent church enlarged in the 14th and 17th centuries, and utility buildings such as the bugade (wash) and its monastic prison.

Today, the Chartreuse combines heritage preservation and cultural innovation. Every year, it hosts 40,000 visitors, 20,000 spectators, and a hundred artists in residence. His "International Summer Meetings", launched in 1974, welcomed figures such as Carolyn Carlson or Michael Lonsdale. The place is also a symbol of resistance: during the Second World War, its guard, Georges Puel, hides an American aviator shot down in 1944, facilitating his escape via the Resistance. Ranked as a historical monument in 1862, the Chartreuse embodies both the Avignon medieval heritage and a living laboratory for performing arts.

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