Charterhouse of Currière

At the time when the Grande Chartreuse was founded, in the same mountain massif and very near the monastery, there was an enclave at Currière, with no connection to the Carthusians. In 1129, when Guigo held the office of prior of the Chartreuse, he acquired Currière with the help of Bishop Hugh of Grenoble (c. 1053-1132) and incorporated it into the already extensive territory under his control, using it as a farm. It was not until 1296 that a new charterhouse was founded there, thanks to the initiative of Amblard d’Entremont († 1308), who later became Bishop of Maurienne.

It is recorded that during the Wars of Religion some General Chapters were held there, although its usual role was as a place of rest and an infirmary. In 1700 the buildings were rebuilt due to their ruined condition. In 1792 they had to be abandoned as a result of the Revolution and fell into ruin once again. In 1876 the site housed a school for the deaf and mute until it was closed in 1903, as also happened at the Grande Chartreuse. The place alternated periods of abandonment with other uses, such as military purposes or as a prison camp, until it was placed under the care of the diocese in 1945. In 1973 a community of Bethléem nuns arrived under the dedication of Notre-Dame du Buisson Ardent and, in 1976, a male community dedicated to the Assomption Notre-Dame was added.