Valsainte

Monks; founded in Switzerland by La Trappe; 1791 – 1812

Dom Augustin de Lestrange, at the head of a group of monks from La Trappe, was forced to leave France because of the Revolution and settled in the former Charterhouse of La Valsainte.  The Lord sent him a great number of recruits, and from there he sent founders to Spain, and also to England, but these were forced to stop in Belgium.  When Switzerland was invaded by the revolutionary armies in February 1798, Dom Augustin fled with his community of monks, nuns and a third order of children to Austria, eventually travelling as far as Russia.

With the accession of Napoleon, Dom Augustin hoped to return with his monks, first to Darfeld.  Later he obtained permission to reoccupy La Valsainte in May 1803.  The community lived there in peace for eight years.

After the decree of 28 July 1811 that called for the suppression of all Trappist monasteries, Napoleon put pressure on the Senate of Fribourg to suppress La Valsainte.  After putting up a great deal of resistance, the Senate issued an order of expulsion, but left time for its execution, which meant that the monks did not have to leave La Valsainte until 1 May 1812.