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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Château des Célestins, located in Colombier-le-Cardinal in Ardèche, finds its origins between the 12th and 13th centuries as a defensive and strategic refuge. Originally owned by the Malatour-Colombiar family of Annonay, it became a key place for Catholics during religious conflicts. His destiny changed in 1361 when Pierre de Colombier, the pope's cardinal and legatee, established a community of celestine monks in accordance with his will. The arms of the monastery, a gold cross with a silver S on an azure background, reflect this religious affiliation.

The wars of Religion marked a violent turning point: in the 1560s, the Huguenots destroyed the monastery, then Catholic bastion. After the edict of Nantes (1585), almost total reconstruction was undertaken in 1655. However, the order of the Celestines, moving away from the Benedictine rules, was abolished in 1773, resulting in the closure of the convent in 1778. The site, sold as a national property in 1790 to the Monneron brothers, then passed into the hands of influential families such as the Barou de La Lombardière de Canson (1859) and then industrial groups (Saint-Gobain in 1961).

The current architecture, partially classified in 1963 and 2017, bears witness to this turbulent past. The 5,000 m2 monastery, surrounded by a park of 18 hectares, illustrates the successive transformations: medieval fortress, celestine convent, and private property. Today, managed by an ardèche mixed union, it remains a symbol of religious struggles and heritage changes in Ardèche Verte, between Piedmont and Rhône valleys.

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