Charterhouse Notre-Dame du Val de Bénédiction, Gothic Carthusian monastery in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, France
The Charterhouse Notre-Dame du Val de Bénédiction is a Gothic monastery in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon with three cloisters, multiple chapels, and a large church built from light-colored limestone. The buildings display typical Gothic architectural features and have been partially restored to preserve their original layout.
The monastery was founded in 1356 through a papal bull issued by Pope Innocent VI and was the primary Carthusian house near the papal court in Avignon. It held a central role in the religious and political history of the Avignon period.
The monastery now hosts the National Playwriting Centre, where writers and theater groups work on new productions throughout the year. It has become an important creative hub for the French and European theater scene.
Visitors can explore the monastery grounds independently, including the church, cloisters, and chapels with their medieval architecture. It is best to allow enough time to walk through the different building complexes and courtyards at a leisurely pace.
The tomb of Pope Innocent VI disappeared during the French Revolution and was only returned and restored in 1959. Today it sits in the Trinity Chapel and represents a rare example of artwork being recovered after centuries of absence.
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