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Origin and history

The convent of the Ursulines of Château-Gontier came into being in 1622, when the Ursulines of Laval proposed to establish a community in the city. Their request, supported by the inhabitants and motivated by the education of the girls and the conversion of the local Protestants, obtained the acquiescence of Claude de Rueil, bishop of Angers, in 1629. The Royal Letters Patent, granted in April 1630, formalized the project, marking the beginning of a gradual installation.

In 1631 Sister Catherine Moreau and the first Ursulines temporarily settled in the parish of Saint-Remy, outside the city walls. Four new nuns joined them in 1632. In 1634 they acquired a 15th-century mansion in the suburbs of Azé, belonging to René d'Héliand, lord of the Touch. This site became the heart of their future convent, where they undertook major work from 1638, including a convent house, a boarding school, a cloister and a church.

The building of the church, entrusted to architects Pierre and Gilles Corbineau, and then to René Trouillard, sétablissement from 1658 to 1664. Consecrated under the name of the Holy Trinity by Bishop Henri Arnauld, it incorporates remarkable architectural elements, such as a altarpiece and a white stone façade. The convent, inspired by the Hôtel-Dieu d'Angers, makes abundant use of the silver marble. During the Revolution, the Ursulines, refusing the oath, were expelled and imprisoned in 1794.

In the 19th century, surviving nuns bought the buildings in 1807 and 1814, restoring their educational and charitable activities until the separation of the Church and the State in 1905. They returned briefly in 1918 before finally leaving the site in 1965. Ranked a historic monument in 1991, the convent now houses the Théâtre National des Pays de la Loire, a tourist office and a music conservatory.

The architecture of the convent combines 15th century remains, such as the Manor of Touche, with 17th century buildings, including the church and abbey buildings. Protected elements include facades, roofs, cloister, and a ruined chapel. The site illustrates the religious and educational history of Anjou, as well as the revolutionary upheavals and modern adaptations of the heritage.

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