Couvent des Cordeliers, Medieval convent in Mont-de-Marsan, France.
The Cordeliers convent was a Franciscan religious community with a cloister, a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Angels, and several buildings arranged on its grounds. The complex also included a burial ground where local residents were laid to rest.
Founded between 1260 and 1270 by Viscount Gaston de Moncade and his wife Mathe de Matha, the convent became an important Franciscan center in the region. The community came to an end during the French Revolution when the monks refused to take the oath required by the Civil Constitution of the Clergy.
The Franciscan monks, called Cordeliers in France because of their simple robes with knotted cords, were supported by donations from local people. Their way of life and connection to the town created bonds that shaped the community around them.
The convent grounds were broken up into new streets and buildings after the religious community ceased to exist, reshaping the neighborhood entirely. Some original architectural pieces were incorporated into the houses that were built on the former property, keeping fragments of the past visible.
The monks were arrested during the Revolution for refusing to swear loyalty to the new revolutionary church, leading directly to the convent's closure. This act of defiance preserved their religious principles even as it ended their community.
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