Second half of 13th century

Arched Entrance, from the Chapter House of the Carmelite Convent Les Grands Carmes des Arènes

This archway served as one of two passages connecting the contemplative space of the cloister to the communal area of the chapter house (a meeting room for the governing body of the monastery) of the convent of Les Grands Carmes des Arènes in Limoges, a Carmelite monastery built on top of an ancient Roman arena in the city. The archway is carved from the distinctive basalt stone used in many of the city’s medieval buildings. During the French Revolution (1789–99), the convent—continuously occupied and much expanded since its foundation in the 1200s—was closed and the nuns expelled. The convent was sold and many of the buildings demolished. The chapter house escaped destruction, and in the early twentieth century, this arch was rediscovered in its original location and eventually came to this museum.