Foundation of the Priory vers 1550/1555 (≈ 1555)
By Antoinette de Bourbon, wife of Claude de Guise.
1756
Destroyer fire
Destroyer fire 1756 (≈ 1756)
Reconstruction from 1760.
1790-1792
Departure of Benedictines
Departure of Benedictines 1790-1792 (≈ 1791)
Sale as a national property.
1840
Arrival of the heavenly Annunciades
Arrival of the heavenly Annunciades 1840 (≈ 1840)
Restoration and new developments.
1969-1975
Permanent departure of nuns
Permanent departure of nuns 1969-1975 (≈ 1972)
End of 3 centuries of monastic life.
1994
Registration for historical monuments
Registration for historical monuments 1994 (≈ 1994)
Protection of remarkable facades and interiors.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Facades and roofs of the former convent; on the ground floor: vaulted refectory with its panelling, adjoining room to the east arch vaulted with its central pillar; in the wing in return for square: old infirmary with its panel on the ground floor, stairwell with staircase and its wrought iron ramp, cellars (cad. AX 156): registration by order of 25 August 1994
Key figures
Antoinette de Bourbon - Founder of the Priory
Wife of Claude de Lorraine, Duke of Guise.
Claude de Lorraine - First Duke of Guise
Husband of Antoinette de Bourbon, indirect sponsor.
Origin and history
The convent of the Annonciades de Joinville, founded around 1550-1555 by Antoinette de Bourbon, wife of Claude de Lorraine, was initially a Benedictine priory dedicated to Notre-Dame de la Pitié. This monastery, famous for its Stabat Mater sung every Friday, attracted many faithful. Attached to a royal abbey in Reims, it was ravaged by a fire in 1756, requiring a complete reconstruction from 1760 in a sober classical style, with a monumental staircase, a glazed refectory and a central pillar kitchen.
The French Revolution marked a turning point: the Benedictine sisters left between 1790 and 1792. The convent, sold as a national property, was partially destroyed (abbatial, cloister) and used as a barracks, prison or warehouse. After a period of abandonment and degradation, he was redeemed in 1840 by the heavenly Annonciades, a congregation from Saint Denis. These nuns, nicknamed "blue girls", stayed there 135 years, setting up a chapel, an oratory and an infirmary.
The Annonciades left Joinville between 1969 and 1975 for lack of vocations. The convent was then acquired by the Priestly Fraternity Saint-Pie-X, before being inscribed in the historical monuments in 1994 for its facades, refectory, kitchen and staircase. Since 2019, private owners have restored the premises and opened them to the public. The ensemble, composed of two wings of the eighteenth century and a park of one hectare, retains traces of its many religious and civil lives.
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