House Uzès (30) Price: $ 5,867,200 USD

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Surface 13 529 m² Bedrooms 20  Land 42 ha

In the French department of Gard, the listed Carthusian monastery of Valbonne and its growing estate founded in 1204. Taking up a small, 43 ha valley which constitutes its forest and vineyard, the Carthusian monastery of Valbonne is a vast property complex, the buildings of which are essentially grouped around 2 courtyards and 2 cloisters in accordance with their original purpose. Founded in 1203 but partially rebuilt and redesigned in the 17th century following the damage caused by the French Wars of Religion, modified and completed in line with its successive uses, the appearance of the monastery nevertheless still resembles its original contours. It was classified as a French historic monument in 1959 and 1974. Although its initial vocation as a place of worship and spirituality is now over, the farm estate has, however, been developed predominantly as a vineyard. At the same time, it is open to the general public for visits and is also part of a hotel and catering activity.
History
The occupation of what was until then a small, anonymous valley in the heart of a dense forest over one thousand years old began in the 11th century with the construction of a convent for Benedictine nuns. Our-Lady-of-Bondilhon, built in a forest and isolated, became unsafe and was abandoned at the end of the 12th century, having been occupied by the nuns for two centuries. The Bishop of Uzès of the time, Guilhem-de-Vénéjan, worrying about the Cathar heresy spreading amongst the estates belonging to the Count of Toulouse, appealed to the order of Carthusian monks and gave them permission to construct a new monastery in place of the deserted convent. The Order’s 41st house was thus founded on 10 February 1204. Having reclaimed and cleared the land, ten or so monks set up home there. This marshy valley, made fertile through the Carthusian monks’ work, then became “vallis bona” or Valbonne. Conflicts with the neighbouring priory of Saint-Pierre-de-Saint-Saturnin-du-Port in a first instance, followed by looting during the One Hundred Years War and, above all, devastation caused by the Wars of Religion did not spare the new Carthusian monastery. In 1585, it was destroyed, looted and burnt. Monks, sent from the head monastery, began rebuilding it as of 1593. The reconstruction of the Great Cloister and the Entrance Gateway was also started at this time. A new church was then built between 1770 and 1780. The French Revolution in 1789 put an end to the expansion of this community of Carthusian monks. The last father left Valbonne on 1 October 1790. Having become national property and deconsecrated as well as looted once again, Valbonne’s Carthusian monastery then fell into ruin. On 28 January 1836, Carthusian monks bought back the monastery. Restored and completed with new buildings, a community of monks following the Rule of Saint Bruno lived there until 1901. The abandoned building was once again bought at auction in 1926 by Pastor-Philadelphe-Delord who then founded a protestant association for helping victims of tropical diseases there; the ASVMT still owns the monastery.