Le Château des Moines

The Château des Moines manor, which despite its name never played host to monks (the 'moines' in its name), was christened the "Villa des Saints-Ange" because it was under the protection of the statue of a guardian angel located in an alcove above the entrance door. The building was occupied by the Jesuit Fathers and then became a youth hostel, welcoming youth groups as well as truck drivers.The estate of the Jesuit Fathers' former retirement home - of which only the caretaker's lodge remains – was acquired by the former municipality of Stembert, which opened up to the public a superb park in which it is possible to admire a number of magnificent old trees: hornbeam, lime, weeping beech, sweet chestnut, horse chestnut, sycamore maple, trembling aspen, cypress and Austrian pine. Following the departure of the Jesuits, the manor was transformed into a cultural centre where concerts, conferences and exhibitions were held. The building that stood on the site, nicknamed the "Château des Moines", was destroyed in 1994. A stele commemorates this episode.