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Origin and history

The church of the Carmelites of La Rochelle came into being at the end of the 13th century, when the Carmelites settled in the city and founded a monastery in the Perrot district. In 1556, by royal order, this first convent was razed to give way to a citadel. The religious, relocated to the hospital Saint-Julien, left La Rochelle during the Wars of Religion, before returning in 1628. They rebuilt their convent between 1645 and 1665, adding a chapel in 1676 on their former possessions, which became an empty place.

After becoming a national in 1791, the convent was transformed into a customs warehouse in 1808 and then into a fish market in 1841. The latter first occupied the garden, before extending to the cloister and chapel after the transfer of customs to the church of Saint Nicholas in 1887. A partial reconstruction, led by architect Corbineau, preserves only the facade of the chapel and the arches of the cloister. sculpted elements are now exposed to the Orbigny-Bernon Museum and the municipal library.

Ranked a historic monument in 1925, the former convent, located on Rue Saint-Jean-du-Pérot and Rue des Carmes, now houses La Coursive, an area dedicated to culture. The remains bear witness to its turbulent history, between destruction, reallocation and partial preservation.

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