Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The convent of the Cordeliers d'Angers, also called convent of the Baumette, was founded in the 15th century by King René, Duke of Anjou and Count of Provence. Inspired by the massif of Sainte-Baume in Provence, he chose a similar site near Angers, the rock of Chanze, to erect a monastery dedicated to Sainte Marie Madeleine. The first stone was laid on November 25, 1452, and the work was completed in 1454. The Cordeliers, already present in Angers since the 13th century, officially settled there in 1456, with papal confirmation in 1467. King René also built the Saint-Bernardin chapel in the city centre to house his heart after his death.

In 1596 the Cordeliers were replaced by the Recollets, who occupied the place until the French Revolution. During this period, the convent was sold as a national good. In 1841, restorations revealed remarkable painted decorations, including a brightly coloured Virgin of Mercy. The site includes a house body with refectory, kitchen and 18th century cloister, as well as a 15th century chapel with an original chestnut vault and a 17th century altar offered by the Marshal of Brissac.

Several historical figures are related to it: François Rabelais, novice between 1510 and 1520, speaks of it in Gargantua, evoking the stable dug in the rock. Geoffroy d'Estissac, of whom Rabelais was secretary, lived there, as did the poet Joachim du Bellay. In 1598 Henry IV attended the vespers during the preparation of the edict of Nantes. Ranked a historic monument in 1946, the convent now houses cultural exhibitions and remains an architectural testimony of the 15th, 17th and 18th centuries.

Future

The main building is used as a venue for artistic and cultural exhibitions.

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