La Chartreuse de Neuville

Mission & Vision

The Past — 700 years of inspiring history and a rural landmark at risk
Founded in 1324, destroyed after the French Revolution, and rebuilt in 1875, the Chartreuse Notre-Dame des Prés de Neuville is the largest Carthusian monastery in France open to the public—18,000 square meters of historic architecture set within 30 acres of natural surroundings on northern France’s Opal Coast, facing England.

Over the centuries, the Chartreuse has played many roles: the general printing house for the Carthusian Order in Europe until 1905, a residence for European artists chaired by Nobel Prize–winning writer Anatole France (1908–1912), the largest civilian refugee and orphan shelter for Belgians during World War I, a hospital in World War II, and later a hospice until 1998.

Its architecture offers spaces for both quiet reflection and meaningful encounters; its history has made it possible to weave together intellectual, spiritual, manual, and nature-based work—allowing each person’s talents and limitations to emerge in service to the community.

By 1998, however, the Chartreuse was abandoned, in danger of collapse, and put up for sale.

The Present — a place for restoration, connection, creativity, and learning
In 2008, moved by the beauty, values, and spirit of this remarkable site, we committed to saving the Chartreuse de Neuville and giving it a contemporary purpose rooted in its architecture and history.

For 17 years, the mission of our non-profit association has been to restore this monument and make it a place for welcoming and meeting people, for creation and learning, in the service of a greater vision:  to work towards a society where everyone cultivates a connection to themselves, to others, and to the world, dares to take action, and unlocks their talents to shape the future.

We currently own 51% of the site, with the remaining 49% to be transferred to us by 2030. Our work is guided by a pioneering model of social and cultural entrepreneurship—financially independent and sustainable—powered by both public and private partners.

With €21 million in restoration already completed and more than 20,000 visitors each year, the Chartreuse is reclaiming its role as a beacon of innovation, cultural life, and economic vitality in rural France, much like medieval abbeys once were.

The Future — from pioneering project to European model for rural heritage renewal
In 2025, our association will enter a new phase with two goals:

• Continue restoration work and reunify the property to accommodate a hotel-restaurant in the honor court and creative and revitalizing residencies on the hermitages, as well as expand cultural, educational, and social programming across the full site.
• Share our expertise with other endangered historic monuments, creating solutions and templates to replicate this sustainable restoration model across Europe.

Discover the Chartreuse de Neuville in 3 minutes : The Chartreuse de Neuville 

Actions Led

A small core team—joined by about 100 volunteers, interns, civic service participants, and vulnerable individuals engaged in the project—brings the Chartreuse to life through four main areas:

• Restoration – With a strong emphasis on workforce inclusion, training, and promoting heritage craftsmanship, the Chartreuse de Neuville is carrying out renovation work, including roofing, carpentry, facades, stained glass, woodwork, electricity, heating, plumbing, and interiors.
• Hospitality & Restorative Encounters – The Chartreuse delivers guided tours of the monument and gardens, and hosts conferences, seminars, exhibitions, performances, and retreats, offering light dining and event rentals.
• Creation – The site hosts 30 artistic and cultural events each year, and welcomes 5–10 residencies for artists, researchers, and authors. Additionally, the site organizes 3 to 5 performances or conferences annually, and leads programs centered around biodiversity. Cultural workshops are also held in schools, reaching nearly 1,000 students each year.
• Learning and Transmission – The Chartreuse supports 15 projects annually to train and incubate local entrepreneurs and architectural heritage redevelopment, creating tools to replicate the Chartreuse’s model of reviving rural heritage sites. Every two years, the site hosts the Festival Labora Tori, which showcases traditional building trades and engages 800 young people. Educational workshops for young people and adults emphasize social and professional inclusion, including the “Rampe de lancement” program, providing opportunities for around 20 young people facing exclusion. Additional activities include restorative activities for 300 caregivers and people with disabilities, and garden-based workshops for 500 participants on biodiversity, nutrition, and health.

The diversity of programs and participants—reflecting the richness of its setting—is what makes the Chartreuse de Neuville a uniquely human and creative place.

Projects That U.S. Donors Can Support

Donor support is key in realizing the full social and creative potential of this unique setting. U.S.-based donors can make tax-deductible gifts to these projects:

Development of the association’s public interest, artistic, intellectual, social and environmental activities. This includes cultural programming, cultural educational workshops, social and professional integration programs, creative and writing residencies, and biodiversity preservation and awareness initiatives.

Continuation of restoration work on the walls and roofs and the interior fittings. This work includes heating, electricity, water, interior walls and doors, floors, stained glass windows of the great cloister of the main building and outbuildings of the historical Carthusian monastery.

Acquisition of the remaining 49% of the Chartreuse de Neuville property (22 hermitages, 1st and 2nd floor of the honor court) by our association, which already owns 51%.

By giving today, you become part of a bold vision—reviving a historic treasure and reinvigorating its rural territory into a vibrant and thriving place, fostering creativity and dialogue—inspiring new ideas for the next 700 years. Join us in writing the Chartreuse de Neuville’s next chapter.