Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Capuchins de Tours convent, founded in 1899, is an emblematic religious building in the city of Tours in the Indre-et-Loire department. During the First World War, he was requisitioned to serve as a hospital for the war blind, illustrating his social and humanitarian role. After the conflict, the Capuchins reinvested the premises in 1925 and entrusted to the architects Auguste and Gustave Perret the construction of the chapel, originally planned in 1899 but reduced for budgetary reasons.

The chapel, made of reinforced concrete and cement parpaings arranged in checker, is distinguished by a marouflé canvas painted by Madame Masse. In 1970, the convent was sold to a medical-psycho-pedagogical centre, transforming the chapel into a gymnasium. In order to preserve its heritage, the building was partially protected by an inscription as a historical monument in 1977, in particular to counter the risks associated with the extension of the Clocheville hospital.

Today, the Capuchin convent bears witness to the architectural evolution of the twentieth century, mixing modernity (with the use of reinforced concrete) and religious heritage. Its history also reflects the successive adaptations of the convent buildings to the changing needs of society, from welcoming the wounded to a contemporary medical and educational vocation.

External links