The Monastery of Notre-Dame-de-Prouille (Fr. Monastère de Prouilhe), is the “cradle of the Dominicans”, where the first Dominican house, a monastery of nuns, was founded in late 1206 or early 1207.
It is located in the Pyrenees at the point where the road from Castelnaudary to Limoux crosses the road from Bram to Mirepoix in Fanjeaux commune of the Aude department (Occitania, France).
First foundation of Saint Dominic, the monastery of Prouilhe constitutes the cradle of the order of the Dominicans, also known as “of the Preaching Brothers”. It played a major role in the active defense of Catholic doctrine in the Middle Ages and, as such, is one of the most important royal monasteries of the Ancien Régime. Like the royal abbey of Fontevrault, it housed, according to the will of its founder, a double community of men and women which was headed by a prior and a prioress.
The monastery today
There are near 30 sisters from several continents in the community today, which since 2003, has taken up the challenge of internationalisation. The community assumes the intentions of the Church and the whole world in the liturgy, prayer of the Rosary, lectio divina and contemplative prayer and maintains the plea of Dominic for all mankind in the intimate sanctuary of his compassion: “Lord of mercy, what will become of sinners?”
Address: Moniales Dominicaines, Prouilhe, 11270 Fanjeaux, France
Working hours:
Sunday 9AM–5PM
Monday 9AM–5PM
Tuesday 9AM–5PM
Wednesday 9AM–5PM
Thursday 9AM–5PM
Friday 9AM–5PM
Saturday 9AM–5PM
GPS coordinates: 43.1878°N 2.0344°E
How to get to?
From Paris: 7 hr 39 min (755 km) via A20
From Toulouse: 57 min (77.6 km) via A61
From Andorra: 2 hr 30 min (152 km) via N20
From Barcelona: 3 hr 23 min (331 km) via AP-7 and A9
From Madrid: 8 hr 34 min (873 km) via A-1 and A64
See here Pyrenees travel guide
See here France travel guide
See here Spain travel guide
