Foundation of the Chapel 1069 (≈ 1069)
Saint Mary Magdalene Chapel founded.
1154
Date engraved on a pillar
Date engraved on a pillar 1154 (≈ 1154)
Pillar attesting to original dimensions.
1259
Annexation to leprosy
Annexation to leprosy 1259 (≈ 1259)
Chapel attached to the leprosy.
1656
Sale to Visitandines
Sale to Visitandines 1656 (≈ 1656)
Site acquired by the Order of the Visitation.
1948
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 1948 (≈ 1948)
Registration by order of 5 October.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Convent: registration by order of 5 October 1948
Key figures
Information non disponible - No character named in the sources
The texts do not cite any specific actors.
Origin and history
The convent of the Visitation of Issoudun finds its origins in a chapel dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene, founded in 1069 along the Bourges road. A pillar dating from 1154, still visible, attests to the original dimensions of this chapel, built on an crypt. Until 1259, it remained independent before being annexed to a leprosy built in its enclosure, where the crypt served as a dwelling for lepers. An underground corridor then linked leprosy to the administrative buildings, organized in U and surmounted by a bell tower today disappeared.
In 1656, after the closure of the leprosy, the site was sold to the nuns of the Visitation d'Issoudun. They undertook major works at the end of the 17th and early 18th centuries, adding a fourth building to close the central courtyard and rebuild the chapel, destroyed during the Revolution. The cells of the convent, preserved in 1948 with their original paintings, bear witness to this period. The current architectural complex, classified as Historic Monument in 1948, comprises four 18th-century buildings surrounding a central courtyard lined with cloistered galleries.
The oldest remains, such as the 11th or 12th century foundations and a watchtower in the enclosure wall, coexist with the transformations of the Visitandines. The entrance gate, opening onto the Chaume Saint-Lazare, and the foundations of the old chapel, visible in the courtyard, recall the successive uses of the site: place of worship, leproserie, and then convent. Today, the monument belongs to an association and retains remarkable architectural elements, although its exact location remains approximate.
