Le Corbusier's Sainte Marie de la Tourette Convent in Éveux: A Postwar Masterpiece of Sacred Modernism
Sainte Marie de la Tourette, located in Éveux, France, is a significant postwar creation by Le Corbusier, completed in 1960 and designated as a historic monument in 1979. The Dominican friars acquired the property in November 1943 and, upon the suggestion of Father Marie-Alain Couturier, engaged Le Corbusier in February 1953. Construction commenced in 1956, culminating in the convent's inauguration on October 19, 1960, with an initial resident count of 75 friars; currently, only nine live there full-time. The architectural design draws inspiration from the Galluzzo Charterhouse and the Cistercian Abbey of Thoronet, featuring a central cloister, a separate church, and a C-shaped structure. Since 1970, it has welcomed the public, providing guided tours and accommodations in former cells.
Key facts
- Sainte Marie de la Tourette is a Dominican convent in Éveux, about 25 kilometers northwest of Lyon, France.
- Le Corbusier was commissioned in February 1953 at age 65; construction began in 1956 and the convent was inaugurated on October 19, 1960.
- The friars bought the site in November 1943 to relocate from Chambéry to the Lyon area.
- Father Marie-Alain Couturier influenced the commission and suggested the Cistercian Abbey of Thoronet as a reference.
- The convent was listed as a historic monument in 1979 and has been open to the public since 1970 for tours and overnight stays.
- The complex includes a detached church and a C-shaped building with 100 friars' cells, refectory, library, chapter house, and other spaces.
- Each friar's cell measures 5.92 × 1.83 meters with a 2.26-meter ceiling, based on the Modulor scale.
- Only nine Dominican friars reside there permanently today; part of the cells has been converted into guest rooms to sustain the site.
Entities
Artists
- Le Corbusier
- Father Marie-Alain Couturier
Institutions
- Dominican Order
- Inexhibit
Locations
- Éveux
- France
- Lyon
- Chambéry
- Ronchamp
- Florence
- Italy
- Provence
- Firminy