Gardens of the former Carmel monastery...
In 1821, the Carmelite nuns acquired the former convent of the Capuchin friars (17th century) to resettle after the troubled period of the Revolution. Major works were then carried out to transform the site into a regular Carmel.
Built on almost 9000 m² of land, the monastery has several gardens and courtyards which have various functions. If some spaces are more conducive to meditation or are places of passage serving various outbuildings, the large gardens are mainly used to cultivate vegetables, fruits and flowers necessary for the community which lives almost in autarky.
The Carmelites stayed here until 1998. When they left, the city of Abbeville acquired the property. Since 2011, it has dedicated it to understanding and promoting the territory's heritage and opens it up to visitors.
In 2021, the entire property, including the gardens, is listed as a Historic Monument. At the end of 2022, a heritage diagnosis of the gardens is commissioned from students of the "historic gardens" master's degree at the École supérieure d'architecture de Versailles. This work foreshadows a restoration of the gardens which will take into account the desire to maintain historical continuity with the production of vegetables, fruits and flowers.
Gardens open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday (April to December) from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
