In 1617, Hippolyte Bourchard and François d'Esparbès de Lussan founded the convent of the Minimes de Notre-Dame de l'Assomption as a burial place for their families and an educational establishment for the marquisate. The foundation stone for the chapel was laid on 15 August 1617. The new religious took up residence there in 1626. They also received the hospital, which had previously been run by the Cordeliers, and handed it over to the nuns of Sainte-Marthe in 1742. Since the Revolution, the convent has been used for a variety of purposes (free school, police station, town hall, then hospice in 1960). The buildings form a two-storey quadrilateral on a basement, surrounding an area of cloister, leaning against the chapel that forms the west wing. The north and east elevations, like the convent as a whole, have been disrupted by successive alterations. A bretèche, 18th-century bays and a 17th-century portal have been preserved on the east and south facades. Inside, the ground floor consists of vaulted rooms. The cloister is punctuated by arcatures. The chapel features a white stone altarpiece and cross vaults. It was supported by side chapels facing west. The convent was listed as a Historic Monument in 1991. Today, the convent houses a retirement home. Informations Free.

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1 Rue Pierre Véry, 16390 Aubeterre-sur-Dronne, Charente, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France