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Béatrix's lucky star shines in Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez

General view | D Villafruela / CC-BY-SA
Abbey Tragic destiny Legend Jarez charterhouse

A star in the sky

The old charterhouse was founded in the 13th century by the widow of a knight died in Crusade, Guillaume de Roussillon: the lady was Béatrix de La Tour du Pin.

She had children and high responsibilities, but... she was so sad... she had lost her husband, her man, her friend!

She began to pray. What did she want? Peace and comfort! One night, she received a kind of sign... a very bright star in the sky!

Béatrix saw that the star indicated her a precise point... once she get to the place, she knew: she had to raise a monastery here!

In 1280, Sainte-Croix charterhouse was founded! Béatrix gave lands and vineyards and the construction began, with high walls surrounding the buildings. Béatrix moved and lived here until she died...

The visit

In the first courtyard we found the hotel, the only place where women were allowed, kitchens, stables, cellar, bakery and laundry. The second courtyard includes Fathers refectory, the cloister with 13 cells.

The abbey was sold during the Revolution, so they rented every cell and destroyed the cloister in order to transform it into a simple garden. The old church where Béatrix was buried was replaced in the 18th century by the current one.

About the the author

Vinaigrette
I'm fond of strolls and History, with juicy and spicy details!