Ancien couvent des Ursulines de Montferrand

English translation

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History

The former convent of the Ursulines occupies the site of the Palais-Vieux of Montferrand, where the court of Aides had been held since 1557. The edict of unification of Clermont and Montferrand, in 1630, having obliged this jurisdiction to move to Clermont, the premises were thus left vacant. They were then composed of various dwelling blocks whose foundations close to the old ramparts dated back to the 12th century. In 1673, the college of the Jesuits, which occupied another part of the Palais-Vieux, was itself also transferred to Clermont. The Ursulines, arrived from Clermont in 1637, could then expand. The first stone of the chapel was laid in 1702. In 1723, the cabinet-maker Sureau placed the baroque retable there. During the Revolution, certain dispersed nuns continued their educational activity, whilst the premises were sold as national property. In the 20th century, the regrouping of seminaries at Clermont transformed the convent into a gendarmerie. The ensemble of monastic buildings brings together constructions ranging from the 12th to the 19th century. The chapel as well as the portal which accompanies it, are an interesting testimony to architectural activity in Auvergne at the beginning of the 18th century.