Ancienne chartreuse du Liget

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Ministère de la Culture, in French. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Ministère de la Culture; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

History

In 1178, Henry II Plantagenet purchased from Hervé, abbot of Villeloin, the place called "Ligetum", and gave it to the Carthusians for the construction of a monastery. The foundation of the charterhouse was confirmed in 1199 by John, King of England and, in 1234, by Saint-Louis. Charles VI, Charles VII and Louis XII stayed there. From the old charterhouse there remain vestiges within the enclosure with four corner turrets. The most interesting elements are the ruins of the Romanesque chapel and the buildings of the 18th century, in particular the entrance with all its dependencies. Only the residential building, dating from the 18th century, was very much restored and transformed in the 19th century. Two twin pavilions of the 18th century frame the second enclosure. To the north-east is found a service building made of two wings set at right angles. Within are found important bread ovens. In the final enclosure are found the ruins of the Romanesque chapel, of which only the nave remains. A semicircular apse terminated the church and the bell tower rose above it. After having been ruined during the Hundred Years War and the Wars of Religion, the great cloister was rebuilt in 1787. It was again almost entirely destroyed at the Revolution. Only the western gallery, of the 18th century, is intact. The turrets of the four angles of the great enclosure are round, in corbelling, set on corbels.