The three cloisters

Le deuxième cloître du monastère royal de Brou, vu depuis le ciel

At the Royal Monastery of Brou, you will walk through not one, not two, but three cloisters! It is a unique example in France.

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On more than 4 000 square meters, you will be able to walk through their low and high galleries, and be astonished by their so contrasted atmospheres. Designed respectively for guests, monks and clerks they are in fact the reflection of the organization of the medieval society and of the Ancien Régime. Three cloisters for three orders: nobility, clergy and third state.

The cloister of the guests

It is the first one to be built. Transition with the outside world, it takes its name from the building of the hosts which overhangs it.

It is in these apartments that Marguerite of Austria and her ladies-in-waiting were to stay, as well as their servants on the first floor.

Recognizable by the well and the magnificent Japanese star magnolia installed in the center, it allows you to reach the church through the portal of Saint Monica.

On your way, admire the ribbed vaults and have fun recognizing the carved bases: angels, monks, fantastic animals, foliage or even shields populate the four galleries of the first floor!

You will also find architectural elements that were added during the restoration of the building. On the upper gallery of the guest cloister, you will also notice the French ceiling, with exposed beams.

Galerie du premier cloître du monastère royal de Brou
© David Bordes

THE CLOISTER OF THE MONKS

The second cloister is the largest of the three. It perfectly embodies thescale of the buildings of the monastery, that Marguerite of Austria wanted monumental.

Also called the cloister of the stroll, it is here that the monks came to meditate by walking under the galleries. The seven open arcades in each gallery invited the monks to meditate on the seven virtues, the seven deadly sins, the seven sacraments or the seven days of the week.

More austere, you can admire its gothic style with arcades, galleries with ribbed vaults and sloping roofs covered with flat tiles. As in the first cloister, the arches of the vaults end in sculpted bases.

Le deuxième cloître du monastère royal de Brou
© David Bordes

THE CLOISTER OF THE CLERKS

This third cloister, called the clerks' cloister is reserved for all the functions linked to the daily life of the monks.

Paved with pebbles, with its covered well, it is much simpler in appearance, and typically Bresse. It has three high and low galleries, supported by the monks' building which separates it from the second cloister.

It is here that we find the refectory, the kitchens, the boiler room but also the ovens, the procuration the wine cellar, a room for the servants, the infirmary and even a prison.

To the south, the carriage gate used to lead to the surrounding fields: this is where the carts filled with the crops from the vegetable garden, farms and barns dependent on the monastery entered.

Le troisième cloître du monastère royal de Brou, vue sur l'église et les toitures — Le troisième cloître du monastère royal de Brou
© David Bordes

THE SPIRIT OF THE PLACE

At the back of the second cloister, you will discover two works by the artist Richard Serra. In 1985, this great American sculptor created two forged steel blocks for his galleries, entitled Marguerite and Philibert. Weighing 7.5 and 8.5 tons respectively, their title but also their massive appearance contrasts with the finely sculpted tombs of the church.

In the third cloister, you can also observe contemporary works of art evoking the spirit of the place. The four steles by the German sculptor Ulrich Rückriem evoke the memory of the priors of Brou buried in the church.

The series Anthropocene, witnesses, created by Jérémy Gobé especially for the Royal Monastery of Brou in 2019 evokes the vermiculated decorations of the Renaissance and the elementary forms of architecture, while questioning the impact of humans on nature.