Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The convent of the Celestines of Vichy was founded in the early 15th century by Duke Louis II of Bourbon, a member of a family close to the French kingship. The church, whose construction began in 1402, was not completed at the Duke's death in 1410, but the monastery was already established. This project was supported by Jeanne de Bourbon, sister of Louis II and wife of King Charles V. Although Louis II had considered ending his days there, he did not plan to be buried there. In 1428 his grandson, Charles, Count of Clermont, planned to make it the ducal necropolis, but finally gave up.

The convent experienced several destructions during the Wars of Religion: in 1568 by Protestant troops of the Forez, in 1576 by the armies of the prince of Condé and John Casimir, then in 1590 under Henry IV. Despite these ravages, it returned to a period of prosperity in the 17th and 18th centuries, thanks to donations from the bourbonese aristocracy and royal exemptions. The monks led a life away from the original ascetic principles of order, in a whole surrounded by gardens and estates.

In 1778 Louis XV removed the convent, and his property was transferred to the bishop of Clermont, who paid a pension to the last monks. During the Revolution, most buildings were demolished and their materials sold. Only a house occupied by a gardener escaped destruction. This 15th century Bourbonnais-style building was listed as a historic monument in 1927. Today, it stands in the Parc des Célestins, near the eponymous spring, which gave its name to the brand of Vichy Célestins mineral water.

A local tradition reported that, on Holy Thursday, thirteen poor people represented the apostles at a celebration of the Supper. The one drawn to embody Judas was pursued and beaten in the streets before finding refuge in the convent's refectory, where a meal waited for him. This custom, attributed to Pierre de Bourbon, the first Count of Busset, illustrates the social and symbolic role of the convent in the city.

The convent was strategically located on a terrace overlooking the Allier, south of the Old Vichy and the Castel franc. Its current location, in the Parc des Célestins, the place between the historic district and the Lardy university pole. The mineral spring below, and the names of nearby places ( avenue des Célestins, college, spa) perpetuate his memory in the city.

External links