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Origin and history

The convent of the Visitation of Romans-sur-Isère, founded in the 17th century, is a religious building linked to the Order of the Visitation of Saint Mary, created in 1610. In 1632 Charles de Claveyson, governor of Romans, and his mother Renée du Peloux asked the bishop of Valencia to establish nuns there. That same year, François de Gaste and his wife Isabeau Livat offered their strong house, the Castle of Rector, to welcome the convent and their four daughters. The construction works, including the chapel and the large staircase, were completed at the end of the seventeenth century.

During the Revolution, the nuns were expelled, but the convent resumed its activities in 1802, dedicated to the education of young girls. In the 19th century, major expansions were made: a central building and a south wing were built along Rue Saint-Just, while arcade galleries surrounded the gardens. In 1906, the law of separation of the Church and the State led to the permanent expulsion of the nuns. The place then became a school for girls, then a college and an annex to the Lycée Triboulet after the Second World War.

In 1971, threatened with destruction, the convent was saved by its transformation into an international Chaussure museum. Its vaulted basements include the Saint-Just fountain, a former water supply for the neighbourhood and the neighbouring convent of Sainte-Claire. The site thus illustrates a transition between religious, educational and cultural heritage.

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