Horticulture and plant study form part of the history of the Monastery of Sainte Croix
The monks of the Order of Saint Anthony, who settled here in the thirteenth century and stayed for 500 hundred years, were renowned for their use of herbal medicine and their work on St. Anthony’s Fire, a form of mania caused by ergot-infected rye. It is thus in keeping with tradition that the former director of the Centre, Thierry Patonnier, with his passion for horticulture, has embarked on the creation of the botanic garden along with his team. A collection of 270 aromatic and medicinal plants (at least ten different mints) surround a central rose garden and is currently open to visitors free of charge. It is complemented by a permanent aromatics exhibition in the corridors of the Monastery. Aromatherapy and herb products are the principal topics of study of numerous groups from France and abroad who come to stay at the Monastery. Medicinal and aromatic plants are a major feature of the rural environment of the Val de Quint to which the Monastery of Sainte Croix is the gateway.