The Carmelite convent at Nantes was a convent of the Carmelite Order established in 1318 in Nantes, France, then situated within the Duchy of Brittany. The convent was gradually destroyed beginning with the French Revolution.
Location In the extant urban configuration, the convent was established between Rue des Carmes and , at the level of , in an area traversed by .
History
Foundation In 1318, Thibaut II de Rochefort (circa 1260–after 1327), Viscount of Donges, an officer of the Duke of Brittany in Nantes (and perhaps governor of the city), established a Carmelite convent. He adhered to a prevalent tradition during that era, whereby dominant noble families selected a congregation to house their family tombs, enhancing their prestige. The was subsequently regarded as "one of the oldest houses of Breton aristocracy."
Thibaut II requested the assistance of six monks from the Ploërmel establishment, the inaugural Carmelite convent in Brittany, established in 1273 by his former overlord, Duke John II (1239–1305). He sought their collaboration in establishing a convent, which he initially situated in the "Hôtel de Rochefort." This substantial building and its surrounding land were at the intersection of the present-day and . Thibaut de Rochefort commissioned the construction of an oratory, and the inaugural prior was named Jean de Paris.
However, the Cordeliers, who had established themselves not far from there to the northeast, invoked a privilege granted to them by Pope Clement IV. This privilege, as recorded in various sources, permitted the Cordeliers to prevent the establishment of any other religious order within a distance of 140 canes (approximately 210 meters or 310 meters, depending on the sources) of one of their establishments. Subsequently, the Carmelite convent was relocated to the Hôtel de Rougé, located between the current and , between 1325 and 1327. In addition to the fact that the building had previously been used as a tavern, a public bordello was located on the opposite side of , which allowed those opposed to the Carmelites to disparage the new establishment. Nevertheless, the order settled there. The original building was large, with the great hall becoming the base of the nave of the future church.
The Cordeliers, with the support of the Jacobins, continued to protest against this establishment until 1345, but their efforts were ultimately unsuccessful. In 1348, in exchange for the foundation of two masses, the knight Alain de Saffré transferred ownership of a house to the convent.
Expansion under John IV of Brittany The development of the convent encountered a significant challenge: the establishment's enclosure was traversed by the , which was under the ownership of the duke. It was only after the War of the Breton Succession that the situation transformed. The victory of John IV over Charles of Blois benefited the Carmelites, as the Franciscans of the Cordeliers Convent had supported the defeated side. Upon the entry of the new duke into the city, two miracles were purported to have occurred after invoking the Virgin of the altar of Our Lady of the Carmelites, situated in the Carmelite oratory. John IV, presumably desirous of garnering the favor of the citizens of Nantes to reinforce his recent triumph, resolved to bestow upon the Carmelites the portion of the wall that traversed the convent, the residence designated as "Tour-neuve," and an adjacent dwelling. The newly acquired properties enabled the establishment of a substantial garden area to the south of the convent. Additionally, the duke provided the requisite wood for the construction of the planned Carmelite church. The Carmelite chapel (also referred to as a church) was constructed between 1365 and 1372. The building of the convent itself spanned from 1369 to 1384. A final acquisition, situated close to Rue de Verdun, permitted the erection of a structure that housed the chapter room, with a refectory above, where a dormitory was arranged.
Expansion under John V of Brittany In 1420, Duke John V of Brittany provided the financial resources necessary for expanding the establishment. During his captivity by at the Château de Champtoceaux in May of that year, he made a vow to donate his weight in gold to the convent should he succeed in escaping. Upon his release, the duke honored his pledge, presenting a collection of jewelry, coins, and goldsmith's work, valued at the time at a considerable sum, to the establishment (the inventory of which has been preserved). He made this donation while wearing his war harness. Subsequently, the duke and his successors reclaimed a portion of this treasure. Nevertheless, the duke's magnanimity enabled the monks to procure land and expand the convent between 1421 and 1488. They constructed edifices along Rue des Carmes and an infirmary along Rue de Verdun, among other structures.
Tomb of Francis II of Brittany
In 1499, Anne of Brittany initiated the project to create a tomb adorned with sculptures, including the recumbent figures of her parents, Francis II of Brittany and Marguerite of Foix. This monumental work was designed by the painter Jehan Perréal and executed by the sculptor Michel Colombe between 1502 and 1507. Francis was interred in the Carmelite chapel, alongside his first wife, Marguerite of Brittany. In 1506, the Duchess and Queen of France obtained authorization to transfer the remains of her mother and her father's second wife, Marguerite of Foix, to the Carmelite church, where the tomb was completed. Upon the interment of the body in 1507, the tomb contained three remains. Following her demise in 1514, Anne of Brittany was laid to rest in the Basilica of Saint-Denis, by the tradition observed for Capetian monarchs. However, her heart, placed in a golden casket (or reliquary), was interred in the family tomb.
From the 16th century to the Revolution In the 16th century, the establishment experienced a surge of enthusiasm characteristic of all religious brotherhoods. During the years 1532–1533, the Carmelites had a membership of 435. The establishment served as the venue for the meetings of the city's consular judges. During one of these meetings, which took place in 1577 and 1578, the windows of the hall in which they were held were repaired.
In the aftermath of the 1590 flood of the Loire, the reliquary containing the heart of Anne of Brittany was exhumed for inspection.
Following the conclusion of the Wars of Religion in the 17th century, the chapel was remodeled to address the deterioration of the convent buildings that had resulted from the conflict. In 1605–1608, the master painter and sculptor Antoine Blassel was commissioned to create a tabernacle for the high altar. Subsequently, in 1617, Guillaume Belliard was remunerated by the municipality with 71 livres and 6 sous for the altar arrangement. Furthermore, the municipal authorities provided financial assistance in that same year for the closure of the choir. Indeed, the entire convent underwent a comprehensive renovation program starting in 1622. A new building, constructed to the east of the establishment, was inaugurated on 22 November. The Estates of Brittany were held at the Carmelite Convent in 1636 and 1638.
In 1727, , then mayor of Nantes, once again exhumed the casket containing Anne of Brittany's heart, citing concerns that the monks had melted down the gold within.
Dismantling Towards the conclusion of 1789, during the French Revolution, a decision was made to designate certain properties as national assets. In May 1790, the decision was made to proceed with the sale of the Carmelite Convent. In the period between 22 and 22 November 1790, the architects and Robert Seheult (father of ) produced a plan of the establishment and provided an estimated valuation of 114,880 livres. In 1791, the monks were dispersed. An initial sale, held on 1 December 1790, was unsuccessful. It was not until 16 December that Julien Gaudin, a merchant from , purchased the Carmelite Convent.
It should be noted, however, that the aforementioned sale pertained exclusively to the walls. The liturgical furnishings were to be sold separately. The sale included some items, including the organ, balustrades, marble columns that comprised the high altar, the figure of Christ that was situated above it, paintings, tapestries, a gilded tabernacle, and nine substantial church books, some of which were parchments. All items were stored on the premises until the sale was concluded. The new proprietor of the walls was inconvenienced by this arrangement, as the furnishings were situated in the nave, which he intended to demolish. The administration relocated the items to the choir of the church, which contained the tombs and was sealed to prevent intrusions. An inventory was prepared for the sale on 11 April 1792. The entire collection was placed under the supervision of the porter of the , which was also closed, and subsequently relocated to the church of the . On 24 September 1793, a sale of furniture removed from closed churches was held at this location; however, it is uncertain whether the objects removed from the Carmelites were included in this sale.
In 1791, the tomb of François II was relocated to the cathedral, where it was subsequently concealed to prevent its destruction. The reliquary of Anne of Brittany was dispatched to the Monnaie de Paris in 1793, where it was melted down. Neglected and forgotten, it was subsequently recovered in a damaged state and transported to Nantes in 1852. Since then, it has been preserved by the Dobrée Museum.
In 1802, the former nave was transformed into a performance hall, the "Théâtre des Variétés," which was initially managed by the widow Charles "et Compagnie," and subsequently by individuals named Ferville and Potier. At the beginning of the 20th century, vestiges of the arcades and vaults were still visible at No. 3 and at Nos. 16 and 18 . By 1975, however, these structures had been entirely demolished.
Income and properties In the 17th century, the establishment derived its income from diverse sources, including "land rents, established rents, property rents, preaching fees, as well as casual earnings from the sacristy, not to mention alms and collections." An income report established in 1669 indicates that "casual earnings," defined as revenue derived from the provision of religious services, constituted 6,000 livres, or approximately 73% of the total resources, out of 8,000 livres. Another notable source of revenue was the rental of buildings or rooms. Between 1752 and 1790, the proportion of income derived from casual earnings ranged from a low of 15% in 1790 to a high of 53% in 1781, with an average of approximately 30%.
Architecture