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Origin and history

The Minimes d'Ornans convent is a former convent built between 1606 and 1611 at the initiative of Laurence-Françoise Orsans, widow of Jean de Grospain. The little ones settled there to found their community. The early chapel, of which only the gate and the tower remain, was enlarged in 1611. The convent was renovated in the 18th century, with engraved dates (1740 and 1741) attesting to the work carried out at that time.

Sold as a national property during the French Revolution, the convent was bought in 1839 by Abbé Girod to establish a house of education run by the visitandines. In 1854, expansion work was undertaken, including the elevation of a wing to accommodate residents. Two chapels were added to the garden in the 19th century, one in 1870.

The convent closed permanently in 1979 and was acquired by the mayor of Ornans. Since then, it has housed the gendarmerie, administrative services and the Museum of Costume and Comtois Traditions. In 1981, the chapel, the galleries of the cloister and a staircase were listed as historical monuments. The ensemble, girded by a two-hectare enclosure wall, preserves notable architectural elements such as a square cloister vaulted with ridges and a chapel with warheads.

The architecture of the convent reflects its various phases of construction, with local materials such as bellows and flat tile roofs. The chapel, without transept, has arches with hanging keys, while the cloister, of square plane, illustrates the traditional Conventual organization. The successive changes, particularly in the 19th century, reflect its adaptation to new educational and administrative functions.

Today, the convent of Minimes d'Ornans remains a notable example of the religious and architectural heritage of Burgundy-Franche-Comté. Its history, marked by changes in vocation, reflects the social and political developments of France, from the Ancien Régime to the present day.

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