La Baumette, Historic convent in Angers, France.

La Baumette is a former Franciscan convent founded by King René, with a 15th-century chapel whose original chestnut vault survives, an 18th-century cloister, and an altar given by the Maréchal de Brissac. The main lodge has about ten original rooms, including the refectory, kitchen, cellar and laundry. Terraced gardens cut into the schist of the Chanzé rock include basins and wells.

King René placed the foundation stone in 1452, dedicating the site to a chapel honoring Mary Magdalene. The location developed into an established convent, with later additions like the 17th-century altar reflecting its sustained religious role.

The name La Baumette means "the little Baume", after the Sainte-Baume grotto in Provence where King René prayed to Mary Magdalene; the monastery was dedicated to her. The Franciscan Cordeliers, whose nickname came from the simple rope belt they wore, settled here in 1456. The chapel keeps its original chestnut vault, and its altar was given by the Maréchal de Brissac.

The main building now serves as a venue for art and cultural exhibitions. The terraced gardens cut into the schist of the Roc de Chanzé, with their basins and wells, lie outside the buildings beside the old cemetery. The site sits at the southern edge of Angers, on the rock above the Maine.

The stable and the cellar behind it are cut into the schist of the Roc de Chanzé at a level higher than the dwellings, a detail Rabelais himself mentions in Gargantua when he names "La Balmette" among places where the stable sits at the top of the house.