Couvent des Clarisses de Roubaix, Historical convent in Roubaix, France
The Convent of Poor Clares in Roubaix is a neo-Gothic brick building with a chapel and small bell tower in the Epeule district. The structure displays typical features of 19th-century religious architecture with tall windows and thick masonry walls.
Construction took place between 1874 and 1876 under architect Jean-Baptiste Bethune and was funded by industrialist Henri Desclée following a dangerous incident at his factory. The building arose during Roubaix's industrial growth when religious communities were establishing new facilities.
The name refers to the strict form of Franciscan life that was practiced here by the Poor Clares order. Today artists and cultural workers use the spaces to present exhibitions and create new works.
Access to the site can be arranged through the tourist office, which can organize guided tours on request. Visiting works best during regular opening hours, which should be confirmed locally before your trip.
Since 2019 the artist collective Zerm occupies the spaces for sustainable projects and operates an alternative hostel within the building. This transformation shows how a historical structure has found new purpose as a meeting point for creative and environmentally conscious people.
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