Couvent des Cordeliers de Châteauroux

The Couvent des Cordeliers is a Franciscan convent in central Châteauroux featuring stone walls, vaulted ceilings, and a fifty-meter-long nave. The complex comprises interconnected spaces arranged around courtyards in the medieval style typical of monastic settlements.

Founded in 1214 by Brother Filiponti, a companion of Saint Francis of Assisi, the convent housed up to fifty monks during its peak in the 15th century. The settlement became an important monastic community that maintained religious and economic significance for the region across centuries.

The convent now hosts contemporary art exhibitions and the International Ceramics Biennial within its converted medieval spaces. Visitors can experience modern artistic practice displayed inside centuries-old rooms, creating a dialogue between past and present.

The gardens remain open day and night throughout the year, while interior spaces are available only during scheduled exhibitions and guided tours. Plan your visit according to the exhibition calendar to experience the changing displays and special events like the ceramics biennial.

The eight-hectare grounds feature terraced gardens that connect to restored historic washhouses along the Indre River through multiple landscaped pathways. This rare link between the monastic complex and riverside infrastructure reveals how the community achieved self-sufficiency.