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Origin and history

The convent of Benedictines of Saint Charles in Lyons-la-Forêt originated in a donation by Charlotte de Bigards in 1562, which offered a third of his property to found a monastery. The first buildings, built in the Lieure valley, were demolished in 1706 because of their old age. The nuns then settled in the village and built a chapel in 1710. The community, reduced to three members, was dispersed in 1742, and its property was attached to the Andelys convent.

In 1768, the convent was ceded to the city of Lyons against an annuity of 145 pounds. Seized during the Revolution, the site underwent major demolitions in the early twentieth century: the chapel was destroyed in 1905, and part of the buildings in 1911. Only a building remains, occupied since the 19th century by a communal school, today the Maurice-Ravel school. Expansion work was carried out in the 1960s.

The convent preserves remarkable remains, including a portion of the 12th century medieval enclosure, to which 16th century buildings were attached. These remains, to the north and west of the AD 4 and 5 parcels, have been protected since 1996 under the Historic Monuments. The site thus illustrates centuries of history, mixing religious, educational and architectural heritage.

The former convent is located between Rue de la Rouge-Mare and Rue des Trois-Moulins, in the heart of Lyons-la-Forêt. Its present occupation by a school perpetuates a collective vocation, far from its original monastic use. Sources, such as the Upper Normandy Topographic Inventory (1976), document its evolution from the Middle Ages to the contemporary era.

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