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Origin and history

The Dominican Convent of the Tourelles has its origin in the gradual implantation of the Dominican sisters in the Hérault. Arrived in Pignan in 1896, then in Montpellier in 1916, they settled in the property of Les Tourelles, Boutonnet district. In 1968, the community decided to divide itself and build a new convent in Saint-Mathieu-de-Treviers, entrusting its conception to artist Thomas Gleb (1912-1991), assisted by Geneviève Colboc-Lions for the plans and architect Gil Thellier for the follow-up of the works. The work began in July 1971, and the move took place in December 1972.

Thomas Gleb conceived the convent as an architecture-sculpture, incorporating geometric volumes inspired by the nearby Pic Saint-Loup. The site consists of four buildings: a central square housing common spaces (chapel, cloister, refectory), cells arranged along a sinuous corridor to the south, two additional small buildings for other cells, and an independent hotel at the entrance. The chapel, cylindrical and asymmetric, is lit by three narrow openings, while the cloister, partially covered with an ovoid roof, opens onto nature.

The cells of the sisters, aligned according to successive curves, benefit from open loggias on the valley, guaranteeing privacy and isolation. Each space is designed to offer an unobstructed view of the landscape, without vis-à-vis. The hotel, made up of two semi-spheres shifted, evokes the chapel of Notre-Dame-du-Haut de Ronchamp, of Le Corbusier, by its forms and its portails. Inside, white walls and oval openings reinforce the harmony between architecture and natural light. A tapestry of Gleb, in white tones, adorns the entrance to the chapel.

The convent has been registered with the Historical Monuments since September 2024, recognizing its importance in the heritage of the Remarkable Contemporary Architecture. Thomas Gleb, also known for his tapestries and his redevelopment of the Chapel of Carmel de Niort (1979), applies an artistic approach where sculpture and architecture merge. The site, located at the place called the Rabassières, is part of a landscape marked by the emblematic silhouette of the Pic Saint-Loup, reflected in the oblique and curved lines of the buildings.

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