Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The convent of the Jacobins of Saints, founded in the early 13th century, housed a community of Dominican monks until the Revolution. Sold as a national property, it was transformed into a private home before being acquired by Maurice Martineau, trading in cognac and bibliophile, at the end of the 19th century. Martineau installed a rich library and had the premises renovated, incorporating Art Nouveau elements such as Marcel Delon's stained glass windows and the ceramics of Théodore Deck. Only medieval remains, the church (1446) and its capitular hall were partially preserved despite the demolition of part of the nave to build the hotel Martineau, a body of modern houses.

When he died in 1928, Martineau left the convent and its collection of books to the city. The site became the municipal library in 1938, then the François-Mitterrand media library in 2001, after renovations including reading spaces, cloisters, and a chapel transformed into an exhibition hall. The church, classified as a historical monument in 2005, maintains a flamboyant 15th century window and 18th century gate, while parts of the convent (ground floor, staircase, interior decor) have been protected since 1987 and 2004.

The old media library has rare manuscripts, such as the Hours of the Cathedral of Saintes (15th century) or a work by Bernard Palissy (16th century). The architecture of the site reflects its contrasting history: medieval Gothic structures alongside neo-renaissance additions and Art Nouveau, illustrating 19th-century eclecticism. Today, the place combines heritage conservation and modernity, with gardens on three levels and cultural spaces open to the public.

Successive protections (1987, 2004, 2005) highlight the historical value of the site, where monastic traces are superimposed, a legacy of a passionate patron, and a contemporary vocation to spread knowledge. The Star Chapel, with star ceilings, and the signed stained glass windows Delon recalls the dialogue between sacred art and secular creation that characterizes places.

Future

Since 1938, the monastery has been built into a municipal library. In 2001, the library took the name "Mitterrand François Media Library".

External links