In the middle of the last century, the Dominicans friars of the Province of Lyon used to train young Dominicans in their study priory in the region of Chambery. They decided to move closer to Lyon and bought the well-known site in Eveux.

In 1952, Father A-M. Couturier asked Le Corbusier to build a new convent which could host a hundred brothers.

Brother D. Belaud described his choice :

For the beauty of the convent to be built, of course. But especially for the significance of this beauty. It was necessary to show that prayer and religious life are not related to conventional forms and that an agreement can be established between them and a more modern architecture.

In 1959, the brothers occupied the newly built friary and the convent was populated by 75 brothers until 1970 and wasn't opened to visitors at that time.

After 1970, the friary started to welcome people, wide open to all sorts of research movement regarding society changes.

Nowadays, there is still a Dominican community living here, constituted of a dozen brothers.

The Couvent de La Tourette welcomes any person or group who wishes to come visit and experience the building and who wants to share a spiritual way of thinking and living.

The convent was listed historical monument in 1979. In 2011, the Brothers' Cemetery was listed as part of the historical monument.

Key dates in the history of the convent

• November 24, 1943 : the Dominican brothers bought La Tourette estate.

• February 3, 1953 : the Dominican Province of Lyon chose Le Corbusier to build a monastery for young religious and future friars.

• July 2, 1959 : the brothers settled in the convent.

• October 19, 1960 : inauguration of the convent in the presence of Le Corbusier and Cardinal Gerlier.

• August 31, 1965 : the mortal remains of Le Corbusier is watched by the brothers overnight in the Church of the convent after being held in the courtyard of the Louvre for his funeral.

• September 8, 1965 : the convent applied to be listed historical monument.

• 1969 : the Dominicain studium La Tourette is closed.

• January 28, 1970 : creation of the Thomas More Center thanks to the initiative of Brothers Paul Grandin and Henri Desroche.

• 1971 : creation of Albert the Great Center.

• December 11, 1979 : the convent is listed as historical monument.

• 1986 : creation of the Spiritual Space.

• 1987 : realisation of the great revolving door in the Church.

• December 31, 2001 : the two associations Dominican Home and Thomas More Center merged giving birth to the association Cultural Center of La Tourette.

• 2002 : the activities of the Spiritual Space and Albert the Great Center continue under the name Sessions and meetings of La Tourette, under the responsibility of the Dominican community.

• September 2006 : the site restoration began, it was planned to last until 2011.

• May 30, 2009 : The Cultural Center of La Tourette is closed.

• June 21, 2009 : beginning of the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the convent in the presence of Cardinal Barbarin.

• Christmas 2010 : the chapter of the Dominican Province of France is held in La Tourette.

• April 2013 : end of the restoration.