At the gates of Ariège, you can find Pamiers and its Carmel Monastery.
I have always loved monasteries, as these are places that encourage meditation. My life is punctuated by a constant back and forth between creation, action, and meditation.
This place represents great strength, great presence, and is very simple, without any artifice. It invites you to head to the essential, to get away from the hustle and bustle of the world, from the racket.
David Giubelli, makes us discover the cloister, the floors, the cells in which the nuns slept, the chapel, the gardens, the refectory.
In 2012, the place was acquired by the municipality of Pamiers. Since 2021, it regularly welcomes Contemporary Artists who exhibit their works here. For example, Paul Toupet, Denis Darzacq, Aurélie BAUER.
I also met Jean-Luc Lupieri (Deputy Mayor, in charge of culture) and Sébastien Gonzalez (Director of Cultural Affairs of the city) who presented the project of the city to me, at the service of its inhabitants: the encounter between a Sacred place and contemporary art.
Some Christian mystics, like Maurice Zundel, consider that the discovery of an artwork can be a source of wonder, an encounter with the divine.
The initial stages have already confirmed the strength of the project, with high quality programming and more than 14,000 visitors in 1 year.
The architectural ensemble of 6,000 m2 has major potential. I have regularly visited many museums that offer Carré Royal collections, such as the MoMA in New York, the Louisiana in Copenhagen; The Carmel through its uniqueness, has a very promising future. Kudos for preserving this heritage and new impetus.
Childhood memories:
The place brings back memories. As a child, I was in front of the door of the convent. I deposited fabrics to be embroidered in a roll of wood. The Carmelites were rather talented in sewing. I remember buying cookies, we would put money in the roll, and the cookies would appear. Behind the wood scroll, one could only see the nun’s eyes.
For nearly 400 years, the monastery overlooked several areas of the city, while remaining invisible, out of the world. It seems to me that only one Sister went out into the city. The rest of the community residing within the walls of the Carmel, devoted their hours to work, to prayer, according to the teachings of Thérèse of Lisieux, Jean de la Croix and Thérèse of Avila.
You can discover the works exhibited in the Carmel on its Instagram page.
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Presentation film of the Pyrénées-Ariègeoises
The Pyrénées-Ariègeoises are known for their splendid nature, the diversity of landscapes, from plains to mountains. with an introduction by Mady de la Giraudière
