Initial construction XVIIe siècle (≈ 1750)
Building the convent and its cloister.
12 septembre 1942
A devastating fire
A devastating fire 12 septembre 1942 (≈ 1942)
Partial destruction, only the large work remains.
10 juillet 1943
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 10 juillet 1943 (≈ 1943)
Inventory of the remains of the convent.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Convent of the Genovéfains (rests of the old): inscription by decree of 10 July 1943
Key figures
Information non disponible - No character cited
The source text does not mention any historical actors.
Origin and history
The Convent of the Genovéfains of Évaux-les-Bains, built between the 17th and 18th centuries, is a historical monument marked by a religious architecture characteristic of its time. Ranked a Historical Monument, he suffered a devastating fire on September 12, 1942, leaving only his big work to survive. Among the still visible elements, the entrance of the seventeenth century, in low arch, gives access to a gallery of the cloister partially preserved. This vaulted south gallery preserves traces of its original arches, now blocked by walls pierced by small bays in the middle of the hangar.
The north, east and west galleries have completely disappeared, with the exception of an arching primer at the south end. The buildings surrounding the cloister courtyard, on a ground floor and a floor, have a regular prescription of rectangular bays on the first level, with 18th-century carpentry. These architectural details testify to the evolution of styles between the two centuries of construction, mixing sobriety and classical elegance.
The 1942 fire radically transformed the site, reducing the convent to partial ruins. Despite this, the remaining remains, including the south gallery and rectangular bay facades, offer an overview of its original spatial organization. The convent, now owned by an association, was entered in the inventory of Historical Monuments by order of 10 July 1943, thus ensuring the protection of its remaining elements.
The location of the convent, at 2 Place Armand Fourot in Évaux-les-Bains, in the department of Creuse, makes it a rare testimony of the rural religious heritage of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. Its present state, though fragmentary, allows us to study the monastic construction techniques of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, as well as the adaptations after its partial destruction.
The available sources, including the Merimée and Monumentum base, highlight the historical and architectural importance of the site, despite the accuracy of the location considered mediocre (note 5/10). The convent, although partially destroyed, remains an emblematic place of local heritage, open to potential uses such as visiting, renting rooms or accommodation, subject to the initiatives of its community owner.
