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Origin and history

The Ursulines convent of Montpezat-de-Quercy was founded in the 17th century thanks to a legacy of Henri de Montpezat, a local Marquis. When he died, he left a sum for charitable works, which his wife used, with the agreement of the bishop of Cahors, to establish this monastery. The aim was to provide young girls in the region with religious education and education, reflecting the Christian values of the time. This project was part of the movement to establish educational convents carried by the Ursulines in France, often supported by local aristocracy.

In 1796, in the context of revolutionary upheavals, the monastery was evacuated and partially sold. The buildings were then reassigned to communal uses, marking the end of his initial religious vocation. The architecture of the convent, organised around a cloister with roofed galleries on the terrace, still bears witness to its monastic past. The main façade, overlooking the village square, conceals this cloister, accessible by a vaulted corridor leading to the chapel and the upper floors.

Today, the Ursulines convent is partly owned by the municipality of Montpezat-de-Quercy. Its facades, roofs and the gallery of the cloister have been protected since 1977 under the title of Historical Monuments, thus preserving an architectural and historical heritage linked to the education of women and religious life in Occitanie in the seventeenth century. The location of the site, although documented, remains approximate, with an accuracy assessed as poor according to available sources.

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