Le couvent des Cordeliers

Le Couvent des Cordeliers, a former Franciscan monastery established in 1410 by Marguerite de Clisson

The Cordeliers (sons of Saint François) were established in Clisson in 1410 by Marguerite de Clisson, Countess of Penthièvre, in execution of the will of her father, Olivier IV le Connétable. The monks lived off alms, charitable donations and mass fees.
At the time, the church overlooked the rue des Cordeliers, and the convent overlooked the right bank of the Sèvre. The buildings frame the inner courtyard of the cloister. It seems that the convent and chapel were rebuilt in the 16th and 17th centuries by the D'Avangour family. Around 1750, the church consisted of a large nave with a side aisle, the entrance to which gave onto a large vestibule opening onto the rue des Cordeliers.
The monastery was burnt down in 1793-94 and was probably subsequently used as a source of cut stone for rebuilding work in the surrounding area. All that remains is a fragment of the chapel façade, a doorway with moulded jambs (from the 16th century) and a few arcades from the church.
The convent is now in private ownership, but can still be seen from the street. |