Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Royal Convent of Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, originally called the Dominican Convent, is an architectural complex located in the historical centre of the commune. Its origin dates back to the discovery of the relics of Saint Mary Magdalene around 1295, inciting Charles II of Anjou to order the construction of a Gothic basilica and a convent entrusted to the Dominicans. The latter, completed in 1532, became a place of prayer and pilgrimage, sheltering in particular the skull of the saint in the adjoining basilica. The site, organized around a square cloister, follows the classical plan of medieval convents.

Before the Dominicans, a first convent had been founded in the 5th century by Cassian monks, then taken over by the Benedictines. The Dominican convent, active until 1959 (with the exception of the revolutionary period, where it served as a prison), was transformed into a cultural, hotel and tourist area. Ranked a historic monument in 1969, it now houses a 67-room hotel and the local tourist office. Its architecture, marked by four buildings surrounding the cloister, reflects its religious and historical importance.

The Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, adjacent to the convent, is a major building of Provencal Gothic. The site remains a key stage in the pilgrimage dedicated to Mary Magdalene, linked to the Holy Baume where she would have finished her life. The relics, including his skull (or "head"), are still venerated. The convent thus illustrates both the spiritual heritage of Provence and the heritage transformations, from a place of worship to a tourist and cultural site.

Future

Cultural, hotel area (of 67 rooms) and tourism since 1959.

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