The Augustine Monastery dates to 1639 and is located on the site of the first hospital built on the North American continent beyond Mexico. Three Sisters from the Augustinian order were sent by King Louis X111 to the “New France” to establish a hospital. It became the center of the ‘old town’ with a city wall still in existence today.
In the early 2000’s, the dwindling number of nuns decided to donate the building and 40,000 artifacts to the city and through funding of a nonprofit organization, a modern hotel was added to the original hospital. Today, people come here for their health and the daily activities combining culture and wellness at Le Monastere des Augustines.
Each stay at the Monastery, a site steeped in history and tradition, is both relaxing and revitalizing. It really has a calming vibe. We chose an authentic monastic cell to stay in where you had to duck to get into the skewed door frame. The communal bathrooms in this wing made things quite interesting.
A healthy breakfast, (no meat), is served in the quiet dining room. No talking, cell phones or internet! The onsite Augustine Museum and heritage center, with their huge collection of medical artefacts was fascinating. Something different for sure.
