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The Winter Garden

  • Bibliothèque-Café Saint-Jean © Alex Nollet
  • Bibliothèque-Café Saint-Jean © Alex Nollet
  • Bibliothèque-Café Saint-Jean © Alex Nollet
  • Bibliothèque-Café Saint-Jean © Alex Nollet
  • Bibliothèque-Café Saint-Jean © Alex Nollet

The Winter Garden, also called the “Guests’ Garden” is in the oldest part of La Chartreuse – the palace of Cardinal Aubert, future Pope Innocent VI. When the monks expanded their monastery, they took over part of this palace, which remained a formal place of ceremony.

This garden is a courtyard-garden which stretched below the guests’ quarters where important persons were lodged within the walls of the monastery. Today, this garden houses the café-library at La Chartreuse

 Jasmine : The ledgers kept by Dom Alexandre Perraud record the purchase of several jasmine plants from China. Jasmine was very popular due to its beauty and fragrance, and it is possible that it was chosen in order to send its flowers as a gift to dignitaries.

Jardin d'hiver