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Origin and history

The church of Saint-François de la Pierre-Rouge, located in Montpellier in the Hérault, is a neo-Gothic realization of the early twentieth century. It was built between 1909 and 1913 by the architect Julien Boudes, with a bell tower completed in 1919, at the initiative of Canon Charles Prévost. The latter gradually acquired a plot of land of 13 hectares to found an orphanage and a college on the outskirts of the suburbs of Fine Arts. The church, the last example of this style in Montpellier, is distinguished by its tympanum carved by Jean Magrou and its stained glass windows signed Félix Gaudin.

The architectural complex, including gardens, villa Berthe, Blue Hall and other buildings, was gradually protected: the church was listed as historical monuments in 1999, and the enclosure in its entirety (except for a modern building) by a decree of 2021. The liturgical furniture, made in the workshops of the orphanage, and the sculptures, like the Virgin with the Child of Raoul Dussol, bear witness to the craft quality of the period. Charles Prévost bequeathed the whole to a private not-for-profit society to perpetuate his educational and social work.

Originally founded in 1885 by the Franciscan sisters of Grèzes (Aveyron) as an agricultural orphanage, the site expanded through purchases of land between 1909 and 1918. Today, the Société de l'Enclos Prévost manages this registered heritage, combining religious, educational and architectural heritage. The spaces, like the courtyard of the Miracles or the rooms of the canon's apartment, reflect a history both spiritual and dedicated to youth.

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