Poor Clares

The Poor Clares (Clarisses) of Ronchamp live in a monastery built in 2011 on the Bourlémont hill, a short walk from Le Corbusier's celebrated chapel of Notre-Dame-du-Haut. The building was designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano together with landscape architect Michel Corajoud, commissioned by the Association Œuvre Notre-Dame-du-Haut, which owns and manages the hill.

Why did the Poor Clares come to Ronchamp?

The community had lived in nearby Besançon since 1250. In 2009 the sisters decided to leave the city and settle on the Bourlémont hill instead. The association overseeing the site wanted to preserve its spiritual identity, which risked being overshadowed by its growing role as a tourist destination centred on Le Corbusier's chapel. Inviting a permanent religious community back to the hill was meant to restore a sense of prayerful presence alongside the visitor traffic.

How was the monastery designed?

Building permits were issued in 2008 and covered three linked projects: a new gatehouse, the monastery itself, and a reshaping of the surrounding landscape. Rather than following the traditional Franciscan layout of buildings wrapped around a square cloister, Renzo Piano designed a long, low structure set partly into the hillside. The idea was to preserve the horizon line instead of blocking it with a conventional volume. Walls are built from raw concrete in a pale grey tone, achieved with local limestone aggregate, left exposed both outside and inside. Large glazed openings bring daylight into the interior, while flat, partly planted roofs help the building merge into the hill rather than stand out against it.

When did it open?

The monastery and its new gatehouse were blessed and formally inaugurated on 8 and 11 September 2011. Renzo Piano received the special prize of the 2012 Équerre d'Argent award for the project.

How many sisters live there today?

The community currently numbers around eleven sisters, including four who joined from other monasteries, giving it an international character. The sisters follow a contemplative rule of life while remaining open to pilgrims and visitors who come to the hill.

Can visitors go inside?

The enclosure itself stays closed to outsiders on a daily basis, but guided visits are organised, led by one of the Poor Clare sisters. These tours give access to spaces not normally open to the public: the communal rooms, the oratory (the monastery's own chapel), and a sample cell. It is an unusual chance to get close to the everyday rhythm of a contemporary monastic community. The monastery also welcomes guests for short retreat stays focused on prayer, quiet reflection, or spiritual renewal.

Frequently asked questions

Is the monastery connected to Le Corbusier's chapel? Yes - it stands on the same Bourlémont hill, close to Notre-Dame-du-Haut, and was built specifically to maintain a permanent prayerful presence next to that pilgrimage site.

Who designed the building? Italian architect Renzo Piano, working with landscape architect Michel Corajoud, on a project completed between 2008 and 2011.

Where did the sisters come from? The community moved from Besançon, where the Poor Clares had lived since 1250, relocating to Ronchamp in 2009.

Can the interior be visited? Yes, through guided tours led by one of the sisters, covering the communal spaces, the oratory, and a monastic cell.