Pomier Charterhouse
Encyclopedia
Pomier Charterhouse was a Carthusian
monastery
in Pomier, Présilly
near Annecy
, Haute-Savoie
, in France
, close to the Swiss border. It is situated on the foot of the Salève
, and on the Way of St. James
.
, and was subsequently used as a place of burial by a number of Counts of Geneva and Vaud. It was visited by the Emperors Sigismund
and Charles IV
, who put it under Imperial protection. In the course of its history it had 91 priors.
In 1793 it was pillaged during the French Revolution
, and the religious structures ruined; the site was sold off into private ownership. At various times it was used for the production of pottery and as a brewery, before being put to agricultural uses. In 1894, Jérémie Girod bought the site from the then owner, the Baron de Drée, and from the ruins was able to restore the main building for use as an hotel, which under the name Hôtel Pension Abbaye de Pomier remained in business till 1991. The present and newly restored Chartreuse de Pomier, consisting of the cellars, and the chapter rooms on the ground floor, is now an event and conference venue.
Carthusian
The Carthusian Order, also called the Order of St. Bruno, is a Roman Catholic religious order of enclosed monastics. The order was founded by Saint Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns...
monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
in Pomier, Présilly
Présilly, Haute-Savoie
Présilly is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-References:*...
near Annecy
Annecy
Annecy is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy , 35 kilometres south of Geneva.-Administration:...
, Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie is a French department in the Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France. It borders both Switzerland and Italy. The capital is Annecy. To the north is Lake Geneva and Switzerland; to the south and southeast are the Mont Blanc and Aravis mountain ranges and the French entrance to the Mont...
, in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, close to the Swiss border. It is situated on the foot of the Salève
Salève
Le Salève is a mountain of the French Prealps, rising to 1,400 metres and towering over the city of Geneva in Switzerland. Despite its proximity to Geneva, the Salève is located in France, in the Chablais area of the Haute-Savoie department....
, and on the Way of St. James
Way of St. James
The Way of St. James or St. James' Way is the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried....
.
History
The charterhouse was founded in 1170 by William I, Count of GenevaWilliam I of Geneva
William I of Geneva was Count of Geneva from 1178 to 1195, in succession to his father, Count Amadeus I of Geneva...
, and was subsequently used as a place of burial by a number of Counts of Geneva and Vaud. It was visited by the Emperors Sigismund
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...
and Charles IV
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the second king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and the first king of Bohemia to also become Holy Roman Emperor....
, who put it under Imperial protection. In the course of its history it had 91 priors.
In 1793 it was pillaged during the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, and the religious structures ruined; the site was sold off into private ownership. At various times it was used for the production of pottery and as a brewery, before being put to agricultural uses. In 1894, Jérémie Girod bought the site from the then owner, the Baron de Drée, and from the ruins was able to restore the main building for use as an hotel, which under the name Hôtel Pension Abbaye de Pomier remained in business till 1991. The present and newly restored Chartreuse de Pomier, consisting of the cellars, and the chapter rooms on the ground floor, is now an event and conference venue.