La Chartreuse de Neuville
The Chartreuse Notre Dame des Prés, a jewel of French heritage located in Neuville-sous-Montreuil, is supported with €350,000 from Dassault Histoire et Patrimoine. This rehabilitation project, led by the Association de Préfiguration de la Fondation Chartreuse de Neuville, will transform this former monastery into a site of culture, innovation, and education.
The Many Lives of the Chartreuse
Founded in 1324 and rebuilt in 1875, the Chartreuse lived several lives before becoming a dynamic and multifunctional space open to the public. In fact, it first housed the general press for the Ordre des Chartreux (Carthusian Order). After their departure in 1905, it became a sanitorium and an artist’s commune, or phalanstère, presided over by Anatole France. During the Great War, the Chartreuse – which briefly became Belgian – housed a great number of Belgian civil refugees, before becoming a psychiatric hospital. Briefly inhabited by the Monastic Sisters of Bethlehem between 1998 and 2003, it was abandoned until 2008, the year that marked the beginning of a rehabilitation project to continue its history as a site of social and artistic experimentation and innovation, geared specifically toward the most vulnerable.
This ambitious project encompasses cultural activities including festivals, artistic residences, and heritage visits; entrepreneurial activities such as seminars, colloquia and training sessions; as well as socio-professional initiatives including certification and gardening workshops.
New and Urgent Work
Despite continuous efforts, the monastery is still suffering from the consequences of decades of abandonment, notably dry rot, a wood-eating fungus. The current works will result in the restoration of damaged parts of the building as well as protecting the recently renovated structures. This project began in June 2024 and will be completed by the end of 2025.
Alliances for Heritage Preservation and Cultural Dynamism
The support of Dassault Histoire et Patrimoine is a crucial contribution to launch this financing plan and to ensure the continuation of the project. This gift supplements contributions from several public partners and patrons.
This restoration work illustrates the importance of preserving and cherishing our heritage all while supporting initiatives with positive societal impact. The rehabilitation of Chartreuse Notre Dame des Prés is an exemplary project that allies respect for heritage with cultural dynamism, offering a promising future to this unique historical monument.
https://lachartreusedeneuville.org/
https://www.fondation-patrimoine.org/les-projets/chartreuse-de-neuville/48969
