Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Order of the Carmelites settled in La Rochelle at the end of the 13th century and founded a monastery in the Perrot district. In 1556, this first building was razed on royal order to give way to a citadel. The religious then took refuge in the Saint-Julien Hospital, before leaving the city during the Wars of Religion. They returned only in 1628, returning to their former possessions reduced to an empty place.

Between 1645 and 1665, the Carmelites rebuilt their convent and added a chapel in 1676-1677. The whole became a national good in 1791 after the Revolution. The site was transformed into a customs warehouse in 1808, and then into a fish market in 1841.It underwent a major reconstruction in 1896 by the architect Corbineau. Only the facade of the chapel and the arches of the cloister are preserved.

The carved stones of the chapel are now exposed to the museum of Orbigny-Bernon, while funeral monuments are in the municipal library. Since 1980, the buildings have been home to La Coursive, a culture house. The façade, classified as a historical monument in 1925, remains the last visible testimony of this religious heritage.

The convent illustrates the upheavals of La Rochelle, marked by religious conflicts, urban transformations and the reallocation of cultural buildings. Its history also reflects the adaptation of monastic spaces to civil needs, from customs to culture.

External links