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Origin and history

The chapel of the Incarnate Word, located at 21 rue des Lices in the historic centre of Avignon, is the last vestige of the Convent of the Ladies of the Incarnate Word, founded in 1639. The religious order, created by Jeanne Chézard de Matel in 1625, was designed to educate young girls in a community recognized by the clerical authority. The convent finally settled in Avignon on 15 December 1639, marking the beginning of its settlement in the city.

The present Roman-style building was rebuilt between 1725 and 1728 by architects Jean-Baptiste Franque and his son François, after a fire having destroyed the essentials of the convent. Only the chapel, classified as a historical monument for its façade in 1932, remains today. Its architecture reflects the influences of the seventeenth century, although its reconstruction dates from the next century.

Since 1998, the chapel, which has become privately owned, has hosted shows every July in the framework of the Festival Off d'Avignon, notably those of TOMA (the Théâtres d'Outre-Mer in Avignon). This place thus combines religious heritage and cultural dynamism, while maintaining its status as a protected monument.

The original convent was located opposite the former Jesuit convent of the Cordeliers, now transformed into a high school. The chapel, though modest, illustrates the importance of religious orders in the planning and education of the 17th and 18th centuries. Its inscription in historic monuments underscores its heritage value, despite its transformation into a scenic space.

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