Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The convent of the Carmelites of Senlis originated in the former hospital Saint-Louis, founded in 1303 and run by the Brothers of Charity Our Lady, called Bonshommes. From this medieval period, only the church remains, built in the 14th century but profoundly redesigned in the 16th and 19th centuries. Its architectural elements, such as capitals, blazers and arch keys dating back to the 14th to 16th centuries, testify to its stylistic evolution. The site, acquired by the Carmelites in 1641, was almost entirely rebuilt in the seventeenth century, retaining only a large residential building and remains of the western gallery of the cloister.

After the Revolution, the convent was sold as a national good and transformed into a cavalry district in 1855, resulting in the destruction of the cloister and major changes, including the construction of stables. A 17th century staircase, mixing stone and wood with characteristic balusters, remains in the large building. The whole was assigned to the War Department in 1874. Today, the protected elements include the church, 17th century facades, the historic staircase and vestiges of the cloister galleries, classified in 1994.

Located on the edge of the southern court of the medieval enclosure of Senlis, the site illustrates the successive re-uses of a religious monument: from medieval hospitality to the military barracks, to the convent life. Its architecture thus reflects almost six centuries of history, marked by functional adaptations and partial destruction. The location, although precise (1 Carmes Passage), suffers from a cartographic accuracy deemed to be satisfactory (note 7/10).

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