Chartreuse de Sélignac, Carthusian monastery in Simandre-sur-Suran, France.
Chartreuse de Sélignac is a Carthusian monastery surrounded by roughly 180 hectares of forest and featuring traditional monastic architecture centered around a cloister and church. The grounds spread across woodland and pastoral land with multiple buildings constructed over different periods.
The monastery was founded in 1202 by monks and functioned as a religious community for over eight centuries until 2001, when it passed into lay hands. This transition marked a turning point in the site's history while preserving its spiritual direction.
The community here follows Carthusian rules emphasizing silence and withdrawal from the outside world. Visitors experience these traditions firsthand as they participate in the daily rhythm of the place.
Stays here span multiple days with accommodation and meals included in the cost. Life follows a simple routine shared among residents, so visitors should prepare for basic comfort levels.
During winter months, communal areas and the church remain nearly at freezing point while individual cells stay heated. This experience reveals how Carthusians understood physical hardship as part of their spiritual practice.
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