ANCIENT CONVENT OF THE CELESTINES
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Remains of a former convent of celestine monks, a site full of history, with a rectangular house of the 15th century in Vichy.
In 1410, Duke Louis II of Bourbon signed the foundation act of a convent of celestine monks, next to which a library, a seigneurial dwelling and gardens were built. The priory enjoyed a great reputation and important revenues, and the monks lived there in opulence. It was ravaged several times during the Wars of Religion: once in 1568, before the battle of Cognat, by Protestant troops from Forez; again in 1576, by the troops of the Prince of Condé and the German Prince Jean Casimir; and finally in 1590 at the beginning of the reign of Henri IV. The convent was finally suppressed by a papal bull in 1777 and an order from King Louis XV in 1778. After its closure, it was used as a town hall: in 1790, the first municipal elections of Vichy and several other assemblies were held there. In 1793, it was sold as a national asset, then demolished in 1795. The stones of the building were exploited by a stone quarry. Nowadays, only a small rectangular dwelling dating from the 15th century remains.
