Carmel de Frileuse
Briis-sous-Forges Essonne Founded in 1937
The Carmel de Frileuse, in Briis-sous-Forges in the Essonne department, is a Carmelite monastery located at the boundary between Greater Paris and the Beauce region, in the diocese of Évry-Corbeil-Essonnes. Founded in 1937 in Le Plessis-Robinson, it moved in 1957 to the "Château de Frileuse," whose chapel, with its magnificent timber framework, was built in 1982. Life here is a hidden life with Christ, centered on him, built on four pillars: silent and communal prayer (mental prayer), fraternal life, work (bookbinding and porcelain decoration), and a presence set apart yet open to the world.
In this park of magnificent trees in every season, 40 km south of Paris, the Sisters welcome anyone seeking renewal, silence, and greenery. Guests come for a practical and restorative spiritual retreat. Frileuse can also serve as a stop on the pilgrimage to Chartres.
What awaits you
Practical information
Accommodation
The main building offers 4 rooms with a sink on the upper floor (one of which has 2 beds), with shared toilets and shower. A pavilion at the garden entrance provides 2 additional rooms with toilets and shower. On the ground floor of the pavilion, there is a room for 15-20 people with a kitchen.
Library
A small library is available in the hospitality dining room. The guest mistress can advise you and lend you a book for the duration of your stay.
Setting & walks
The Carmel is located 40 km south of Paris, in the Essonne. The orchard is a pleasant place to rest or walk. Hiking trails pass nearby. Frileuse can also serve as a stop on the pilgrimage to Chartres.
Getting there
RER B from Paris, direction Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse, get off at Orsay (10 km from Frileuse) then take a bus to Gometz-la-Ville or ask for a taxi in Orsay
A10 direction Nantes-Bordeaux – Exit: Les Ulis, then follow the direction of Chartres… Frileuse is located on the D131 between Gometz-la-Ville and Briis-sous-Forges
You have to be brave enough to brave the elements!