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Origin and history

The Convent des Cordeliers de La Cassine, located in La Cassine (now integrated in Vendresse in the Ardennes), was built near a castle built in 1571 by Louis de Gonzague, Italian prince of Mantua, and his wife Henriette de Clèves, close to Queen Margot. The convent, authorized in 1579, was occupied by Franciscan monks (Cordeliers) as early as 1587, as evidenced by the date engraved on the gable of the church. Its architecture combines simplicity (a unique nave without decoration, cradle frame) and Renaissance elements (fills of windows). The dormitory of the monks adopts the same vaulted structure as the nave.

In the French Revolution, the monks left the site, and the convent was transformed into a farm in the 19th century. The nearby castle, damaged by two fires (1927 and 1940), fell into ruins, while the convent and its church were listed as historical monuments in 1930. In the 21st century, the Ardennes department acquired the site (2005) to preserve it, with the support of the Cultural Association of the Château de la Cassine. Despite a degraded state (non-watertight roofs), the convent attracts 30,000 annual visitors through cultural events (sound and light, concerts, local markets).

In 2019, the convent includes the list of 121 monuments benefiting from the Heritage Lotto, offering hope for a major restoration. Its history reflects the links between European aristocracy (Gonzague family), monastic life and Ardennes rural heritage. Today, it embodies both an architectural testimony of the late Renaissance and a safeguard issue for the Greater East region.

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