Mélan Charterhouse
Description
Mélan Charterhouse is a former Carthusian monastery located in Taninges, Haute-Savoie, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. Founded in 1282 by Béatrice of Faucigny as a Carthusian convent for nuns and a dynastic burial site, it was listed as a historical monument in 1911. The monastery stands on the alluvial plain of the Giffre River.
After a fire in 1528, the complex was rebuilt in Gothic style, including a rectangular cloister. During the French Revolution, the nuns were expelled in 1793 and the property was sold as national land. In the 19th century, the site was reused as a college and later as a minor seminary.
In the 20th century, it became a departmental orphanage until a devastating fire in 1967 destroyed much of the complex. Today, the surviving church, cloister, and chapels house a departmental contemporary art and cultural center.
Address
Chemin Vicinal Ordinaire N°13 de Melan aux Buchilles 697, Taninges, France
Established
1282