Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The shelter of the Abbey of Corneux, located in Gray, finds its origins in a first installation in the 14th century, dependent on the Abbey of the Prémontrés of Corneux. This first building, destroyed, was replaced in the 3rd quarter of the 16th century by the current buildings, built under the abbatiate of Dom Perchet, whose coat of arms and dates 1563 and 1569 still adorn the facade. This refuge was initially used as a refuge for religious during war, as indicated by an inscription on the right façade.

The architecture of the 16th century preserves remarkable elements: a vaulted porch in a cradle, a vaulted chapel, and a large vaulted hall transformed into a stable in the 18th century. Between 1756 and 1773, the building underwent major modifications, including the elevation of two floors of the building housing the chapel, which removed its bell tower. At that time, the shelter was rented to a regiment of horsemen on the ground floor, before becoming a private home in the 19th century, with garden-side enlargements after the suppression of a canal.

The chapel, classified as a Historic Monument in 2000, is the only protected element of the whole. Successive transformations, especially in the 20th century, partially altered the original structure, but traces of the 16th and 18th centuries remain, reflecting its functional evolution: place of worship, monastic refuge, and then civilian housing. Historical sources, such as Camille Rochard's (1929) work, confirm these stages, including the date of 1775 engraved on the building, marking the end of the 18th century.

Today located 87-89 rue Vanoise, the refuge illustrates the history of the abbeys pre-demonstrated in Franche-Comté, between religious protection, military adaptations and civilian reuse. Its current state, although modified, retains key architectural elements, such as ogival vaults and lapidary inscriptions, offering a material testimony of five centuries of local history.

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