The Carmelite Convent in Beauvoir-en-Royans: A medieval treasure of Dauphiné

Perched on the heights of Beauvoir-en-Royans, the Couvent des Carmes is a historic treasure of the Dauphiné region. Formerly the residence of the last Dauphins until the 14th century, this listed Historic Monument offers visitors a journey through time, combining medieval remains, artistic exhibitions, and picturesque gardens.

Medieval and natural site of the Convent of the Carmelites in Beauvoir-en-RoyansPierre Jayet
Medieval and natural site of the Convent of the Carmelites in Beauvoir-en-RoyansAchille Martinon

What is the CONVENT OF THE CARMELITES?

High place in the history of Dauphiné in medieval times, the site was the residence of the last Dauphins until the middle of the 1349th century. The remains of their old palace – listed as Historic Monuments – testify to the past power and prestige of these lords, before Dauphiné was attached to the Kingdom of France in XNUMX.

Visiting the CARME CONVENT

Chapel of the Carmelite Convent in Beauvoir en Royans

dolphin museum

The halls of the central wing of the building are devoted to a heritage exhibition to trace the history witnessed by the convent. You will discover the history of the Dauphins, lords of Dauphiné, as well as the collection of César Filhol, creator of the Delphinal Museum and initiator of the classification of the remains of the palace as Historic Monuments in 1922. This evocation takes shape thanks to a collection of objects of everyday life, earthenware and pottery and old iconography compiled by César Filhol and relayed to us by the Friends of Old Beauvoir association. A space is also devoted to the life of the Carmelites, who lived there until the XNUMXth century.

Exhibition OF THE WORK OF THE PAINTER BOB TEN HOOPE

The exhibition of the Dutch-born painter is completely revamped for 2026 and the following two years. This is an opportunity to discover works that have not yet been shown in the Carmelite Convent gallery. Through this new and original exhibition, Bob ten Hoope pays tribute to the land, its landscapes, and its inhabitants.

The artist's preferred techniques—oils, watercolors, drawings, drypoints—allow him to represent his favorite themes. Landscapes of the Vercors, scenes of life in the village of Pont-en-Royans, and nudes in wild, natural settings thus compose a rich and varied journey through his work.

This new presentation includes works from the foundation's new donation Stichting Vrienden van Bob en Hoope in Saint-Marcellin Vercors Isère Communauté, but also loans from private collectors

  • Exhibition of the work of Bob Ten Hoope at the Couvent des Carmes in Beauvoir-en-RoyansEric Gandit
  • Exhibition of the work of Bob Ten Hoope at the Couvent des Carmes in Beauvoir-en-RoyansEric Gandit
  • Exhibition of the work of Bob Ten Hoope at the Couvent des Carmes in Beauvoir-en-RoyansEric Gandit

The temporary exhibition "us"

The exhibition NOUS!, by street artist DAG, opens the 2026 season. He develops a unique practice of collage and "poster removal" using found posters, collected directly from the cities where he works. His approach aims to reveal the memory of places through layers of superimposed posters, witnesses to an era and an urban atmosphere.

For the Carmelite Convent, he created eight portraits of SMVIC residents, born from intimate encounters and personal exchanges. The urban materials collected (poster paper, textures, typography) are combined with objects entrusted by these people, to create faces-territories, both sensitive and fragmented.

Each work becomes an intimate cartography: individual memory, local identity, a sensitive connection to landscapes, a relationship to the place where one lives. DAG's ambition: to give a face to a territory through those who tell its story.

Complete the visit

Conservatory orchard, garden and fruit at the Couvent des Carmes in Beauvoir-en-RoyansAchille Martinon
Conservatory orchard, garden and fruit at the Couvent des Carmes in Beauvoir-en-RoyansAchille Martinon

GARDEN AND CONSERVATORY ORCHARD

The visit to the Carmelite Convent continues outside to the delight of the 5 senses, through the hundreds of flowers and plants in the medieval garden, and the fruit trees in the conservatory orchard. Set up in 2009 by the Association "Les fruits regained", this garden is inspired by medieval gardens often associated with abbeys or convents. The set includes 3 distinct gardens, an educational pond and apiaries complete this ecosystem. As for the orchard, it participates in the conservation and research of the specificities of fruit trees.

To prepare for your visit

Practical information

The Carmelite Convent
38160 BEAUVOIR-EN-ROYANS
+04 76 38 01 01
couvent.carmes@smvic.fr

Admission is free – The exteriors are visible at all times.

From 04/04 to 19/04/2026
Open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 13pm and from 14pm to 18pm.

From 20/04 to 05/07/2026
Open Friday from 14 pm to 18 pm. Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 1 pm and from 13 pm to 14 pm. (Closed Friday, May 18, 2026)
Exceptionally open on Wednesday, May 27th from 10am to 13pm.

From 06/07 to 30/08/2026
Open Wednesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 13 p.m. and 14 p.m. to 18 p.m.

From 31/08 to 18/10/2026
Open Friday from 14 p.m. to 18 p.m. Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 13 p.m. and from 14 p.m. to 18 p.m.

From 19/10 to 01/11/2026
Open Wednesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 13 p.m. and 14 p.m. to 18 p.m.

Ruin and vestiges on the forecourt of the Carmelite conventAchille Martinon

a rich cultural program