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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Cordeliers de Forcalquier convent, founded around 1236, is one of the first Franciscan settlements in Provence. It was built on the site of a Benedictine priory, thanks to a donation from Raymond Bérenger V, Count of Forcalquier. This medieval convent, marked by Gothic architecture, became a major religious place before declining after the Wars of Religion.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the convent perished, with only two monks at the Revolution. Sold as a national property in 1791, it was transformed into a farm. Its buildings, including the 14th century cloister and a 15th century chapel, house remarkable elements such as a carved Virgin Child and a medieval garden.

Ranked a historic monument in 1968, the site was restored from 1963 by the commune. Today, it hosts the European University of Smells and Flavors, combining heritage and modernity. The remains of the church, the ossuary, the crypt and the scriptorium recall its monastic history, while its terrace offers a panorama of Forcalquier.

The sources also mention a library with original ceiling and preserved convenual furniture. The convent thus illustrates the evolution of religious buildings in Provence, from Franciscans to a contemporary cultural vocation.

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