Foundation of the convent 1374 (≈ 1374)
By Jean Pelourde on site Noher
vers 1515
Construction of cloister
Construction of cloister vers 1515 (≈ 1515)
Renaissance period, 1st quarter XVIth
1861
Transfer of cloister
Transfer of cloister 1861 (≈ 1861)
To the old convent of the Clarisses
1878
Demolition of the Church
Demolition of the Church 1878 (≈ 1878)
Departure from main building
2 mars 1926
Cloister classification
Cloister classification 2 mars 1926 (≈ 1926)
Registration Historic Monument
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Cloister (Case IN 480): entry by order of 2 March 1926
Key figures
Jean Pelourde - Founder of the convent
Originating in 1374
Origin and history
The Church of the Carmelites of Bourges, founded in the 14th century by Jean Pelourde, was originally located in Noher Square (current Cujas Square). Its cloister, built around 1515, is the only remaining vestige after the demolition of the church in 1878. This monument reflects Renaissance religious architecture in the Berry.
The cloister was moved in 1861 to the former convent of the Clarisses, now occupied by the private college and high school Sainte-Marie-Saint-Dominique. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1926, it bears witness to the urban and religious history of Bourges, marked by the transformations of the conventual spaces in the 19th century.
The initial location of the convent on the present Cujas Square illustrates the importance of begging orders in the medieval city. The demolition of the church in 1878 is part of a context of urban redevelopment and partial loss of heritage, compensated by the preservation of the cloister, a major architectural element.
