Abbaye de Saint-Hilaire, Carmelite monastery in Ménerbes, France.

Abbaye de Saint-Hilaire is a former Carmelite monastery on a steep slope facing the Luberon, at the boundary of Ménerbes and Lacoste. Its church, in a transitional style, has a single nave ending in a flat chevet with three lancet windows; two side chapels were added in the 14th century. The slope forced a partly troglodytic layout, with a defensive wall and tower, and cultivation terraces (restanques) around a cloister rebuilt in the 17th century.

The abbey was established around 1250 by Carmelites who had departed from Mount Carmel in Palestine, marking the first Carmelite monastery in the Comtat Venaissin region. This foundation represented an important expansion of the religious order into southern France.

The church is dedicated to Saint Hilary, and the date 1254 is carved on one of its walls. The Carmelites came from Mount Carmel in Palestine and first stayed at Les Aygalades near Marseille before settling here. The prior's refusal to pay the tithe, from which the house had been exempted, led to conflicts with the local clergy recorded from the 15th century.

The site can be visited during regular opening hours and the monastery sits on a hillside with paved pathways connecting its buildings. Wear sturdy shoes as some areas have uneven ground and stairs lead between different levels throughout the complex.

The date 1254 is carved on the church wall inside the cloister, and the Carmelites long claimed Saint Louis founded the priory on his return from the Seventh Crusade. In 1660 they appealed to Louis XIV on that basis after the Bishop of Cavaillon had them expelled. The community was suppressed in 1778 for lack of monks.