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Origin and history

The monastery of the Benedictines of Calvary, now located in Vendôme, finds its origins in a convent of Cordeliers founded in 1223. This land, originally given to the Templars in 1140 by Countess Mahaut de Châteaudun, was ceded to the Cordeliers, who built there a church dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. The convent became a major religious centre, hosting eleven provincial chapters between 1274 and 1747, including that of 1511, which brought together about 350 monks.

In the 16th century, the convent was looted and burned in 1589 during the capture of Vendôme by Henry IV, in retaliation for Catholic resistance. Father Chessé, guardian of the Cordeliers, was executed, and the religious dispersed for a decade. Despite partial reconstruction in 1743, the decline accelerated: of five monks in 1770, only two remained in 1784. The convent was definitively abandoned in 1789, before being sold as a national good in 1792.

The site was converted into a rehabilitation home for young girls during the Revolution and was then bought by the Calvairians, becoming the convent of Calvary. Since 1971, the buildings have been home to a retirement home. The architecture preserves traces of the 13th, 16th and 18th centuries, with a restored cloister and facades classified as Historic Monument in 1963. The place bears witness to the religious and political upheavals of the region, from the Templars to the Revolution.

Historical sources also mention the influence of Cordeliers on the vendômois population, especially during religious conflicts. Their resistance to the Protestant troops of Henry IV, Duke of Vendôme, illustrates their political and spiritual role. Pope Clement XIV even offered a portrait to the convent, destroyed during the Revolution. Today, the monastery remains an example of architectural and functional adaptation throughout the centuries.

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