Convent of the Cordeliers at La Chambre

The convent was founded at the initiative of Jean II, lord of La Chambre, in 1365. During the Middle Ages, La Chambre was an important stopping place in the Maurienne, situated on the route that followed the River Arc to the Mont-Cenis pass, a major link with Piedmont. It should be noted that the town already possessed the Benedictine priory of Saint-Marcel, dependent on the abbey of Sacra di San Michele in Piedmont, although it is possible that at the time of the convent’s foundation the priory was no longer active.

Despite its precarious condition, the convent still preserves a substantial part of its buildings. The fourteenth-century church survives, although it underwent various modifications over time. Originally it consisted of a single nave, to which chapels were later added on the south side. The cloister, largely dating from the seventeenth century, is partially preserved, together with the chapter house and other ancillary buildings. Since 2008, the complex has been publicly owned.