Chartreuse de Parménie

Chartreuse de Parménie is a former Carthusian monastery perched on a hilltop above the Isère valley, in the commune of Beaucroissant in the Isère department of France, at an altitude of roughly 749 metres. Its history spans medieval religious life, the mystical experience of Béatrix d'Ornacieux, and dramatic events of the Second World War.

How did the monastery come into being?

The hill of Parménie has been inhabited since antiquity. A chapel dedicated to the Holy Cross, built in the 12th and 13th centuries, drew pilgrims from the surrounding region. Around the middle of the 13th century, at the initiative of Falcon, bishop of Grenoble, the existing priory of Notre-Dame de Parménie - until then home to Augustinian canons regular - was converted into a Carthusian house. Nuns from the nearby Chartreuse de Prémol settled the new community.

Who was Béatrix d'Ornacieux, and what was her connection to Parménie?

Béatrix (Beatrice) d'Ornacieux was born around 1260 at the castle of Ornacieux in the Dauphiné, near La Côte-Saint-André. She entered the convent at Parménie at the age of thirteen and became known for mystical visions that reinforced the site's religious reputation. In 1300, three nuns from Parménie, together with sisters from elsewhere, left to found a new charterhouse at Eymeux in the Drôme. Béatrix joined this new foundation, where she lived in extreme poverty until her death on 25 November 1303. Pope Pius IX beatified her on 15 April 1869.

What happened to the site after the Carthusian nuns left?

Toward the end of the 14th century, the nuns abandoned Parménie for Revesti, in the commune of La Rivière. The former priory then continued as a convent under the name Sainte-Marie-du-Mont.

How did Parménie fare during the Second World War?

During the German occupation of France, the monastery buildings - by then in the hands of the Olivetan order - were occupied by Resistance fighters (the maquis) in 1943. The following year, in 1944, German forces attacked and burned the monastery.

What is Parménie today?

The site was rebuilt in 1965 through the efforts of Brother Léo Burkhard (1922-2007) of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (the Lasallian order). It is now run by the Centre lasallien de Parménie, which hosts formation sessions and retreats. No longer a contemplative monastery, the former charterhouse remains a place for reflection and gathering, set within the hills of the Bièvre-Valloire landscape.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Chartreuse de Parménie located? On a hilltop in the commune of Beaucroissant, in the Isère department of France, at an altitude of about 749 metres, overlooking the Isère valley.

Is it still an active Carthusian monastery? No. The Carthusian nuns left at the end of the 14th century. The site is now managed by the Centre lasallien de Parménie, a formation centre rather than a contemplative religious community.

Who was Béatrix d'Ornacieux? A Carthusian nun associated with Parménie, known for her mystical visions, who later helped found the charterhouse of Eymeux and was beatified in 1869.

Do the original buildings still stand? Not entirely - the monastery was burned by German forces in 1944 and was not rebuilt until 1965.

What can visitors do at Parménie today? The site functions as a retreat and formation centre, open to groups and individuals seeking a quiet, mountain setting for reflection.