Chartreuse de Val-Saint-Esprit, Carthusian monastery in Gosnay, Pas-de-Calais, France
The Chartreuse de Val-Saint-Esprit stands as a former Carthusian monastery featuring architectural elements from multiple centuries, including a reconstructed church from 1704 and cloisters dating to the 16th and 17th centuries.
Founded in 1320 by Thierry d'Hérisson, bishop of Arras, and Mahaut, countess of Artois, the charterhouse's church was consecrated in 1324. The community fled to Béthune during the 15th- and 16th-century wars; after the Hundred Years' War it bought the comital fortress of Gosnay, funding works from 1526 to 1528. The church was rebuilt and blessed in 1704, and the community dispersed in 1791.
The name Val-Saint-Esprit, "Valley of the Holy Spirit", refers to the site chosen in 1320 by Thierry d'Hérisson, bishop of Arras, and Mahaut, countess of Artois. The priors were elected by their fellow monks. In the 18th century the community numbered about twelve monks and six lay brothers, and the church rebuilt after the wars was blessed in 1704.
The former monastery lies in Gosnay, Pas-de-Calais, at 50.507926, 2.593018, and is listed as a monument historique inscrit. The brick buildings with slate roofs and white-framed dormers stand behind a low brick wall; the grounds are not described in the sources as offering guided tours, so check locally before planning a visit.
The monastery purchased the fortress of Gosnay between 1526 and 1528 to strengthen its defenses and increase revenue from its extensive land holdings across multiple nearby localities.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,920 contributors worldwide.