Chambarand
Fields "good for nothing"
In the Rhône Valley, on the border between Isère and Drôme, at an altitude of around 600 meters, lies a series of plateaus collectively known as the "Chambarands."
The name derives, according to some interpretations, from the local expression "Champs bon à ran (rien)" (fields good for nothing), or according to a more scholarly interpretation, from the Latin "Campus arandus" (fields that need to be plowed). In any case, the Chambarands were considered unproductive land unsuitable for cultivation.
Founded in July 1868 by a colony of monks from Sept-Fons, work began quickly, but construction of the monastery proceeded rather slowly, being temporarily interrupted by the upheavals of the 1870 war. Initially housed in an old castle (more like a ruined farm), the Trappists were able to move into their premises at the end of 1872, with the bulk of the work completed. During this time, the fields had been plowed and sown with wheat, which aroused the admiration of the local population, accustomed to the difficulty of working this land.
Located near a military firing range, the abbey also grew thanks to the presence of soldiers and officers, who sought lodging and provided a source of income. In 1877, the monastery was consecrated as an abbey.
Following the expulsion of religious congregations in 1903, the community went into exile in Brazil, then returned to Sept-Fons a few years later, which sent a group of monks to re-establish Orval Abbey in 1926.
In April 1931, a colony of nuns from the Abbey of Maubec took possession of the premises and founded a community of Trappistines, who are still present there today.
