La Chartreuse du Val de Bénédiction was created by the Cardinal that became Pope Innocent VI. In 1352, after his election, the cardinal donated his lands and a private residence he owned at Villeneuve lez Avignon. Work on the resulting monastery commended, planned for twelve monks. The monastery was granted numerous privileges. The decoration of its private chapel was entrusted to Matteo Giovannetti, who had painted the frescoes in the Palace of the Popes.
Pope Innocent VI had close ties with the monastery and, at his request, he was buried there when he died in 1362. His mausoleum, a monument which was removed after the Revolution, was returned to the church in 1959. The work begun by Innocent VI was carried on by his nephew, Pierre Selva de Montirac, Cardinal of Pampelona, who finished building the Saint John Cloister in 1372. Over the centuries, the monastery grew richer, more influential and more beautiful, with decorations by François Des Royers de la Valfenière in particular. Its three cloisters made it the biggest Carthusian monastery in France.
With the French Revolution, the massive estate was divided into lots and sold, its library and works of art were scattered and the monastery was severely damaged.
In 1835, the deterioration of the church and its frescoes got the attention of the writer Prosper Mérimée, who was then Inspector of Historical Monuments. He immediately started conservation proceedings. In 1909, the State began to rehabilitate the monastery, commissioning architect Jules Formigé to make a complete survey of all buildings. The first restoration work was begun. This started the process to buy back, little by little, all the buildings in the original estate.
Today, much of the monastery has been restored and open for visits. I spent an entire morning there. The church, with its collapsesd aspe and the three different cloisters are all enchanting.
The wash house in the cloister gardens.
photos: mytravellinglens.com
