Former Dominican convent

The former Dominican convent, medieval memory of Collioure

Often overlooked by visitors, the former Dominican convent is one of the most history-laden places in Collioure. Founded at the end of the thirteenth century, it recalls the religious importance of the town when it belonged to the kingdom of Majorca. The Collioure audio-guided tour stops here to reveal an older layer, behind the colourful image of the city of painters.

From preaching friars to the wine cooperative

The Dominicans settled in Collioure towards the end of the thirteenth century and built their convent in the fourteenth, with a church, a cloister and conventual buildings. Over the centuries the complex changed use: today the former Dominican church houses the town's wine cooperative, a striking testimony to the conversion of a sacred place into a high temple of Catalan wine. The cloister, for its part, had an eventful history, marked by an episode of art trafficking before it was recovered.

What to see

The interest of the site lies in this dialogue between monastic past and present-day life: you can sense the scale of the medieval complex behind the converted walls. It is a rare testimony to the religious and economic history of Collioure, where the vine took over from prayer. For the curious visitor, it is another way of reading the town, attentive to ancient stones as much as to the colours of the harbour.

Practical information

The former Dominican convent stands in Collioure, the old church now housing the wine cooperative, reachable on foot from the centre. The complex is mainly seen from the outside, as part of a heritage walk; as access conditions depend on the current uses of the buildings, it is best to enquire at the tourist office. The cloister, an element protected as a historic monument, is part of the town's remarkable heritage.

When was the Dominican convent founded?

The Dominican settlement in Collioure dates back to the end of the thirteenth century, and the convent's construction continued into the fourteenth, in the time of the kingdom of Majorca.

What became of the convent buildings?

The former Dominican church today houses the wine cooperative of Collioure; the cloister, long threatened and marked by art trafficking, is protected as a historic monument.