Archaeological work is currently taking place at the Capuchin Convent in Parthenay, in the Deux-Sèvres department of western France, as part of the renovation of the Marchioux College. The research is being carried out by Inrap, the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research, and focuses on the remains of the 17th-century convent. The Capuchin order, a branch of the Franciscan movement, was founded in Italy during the 16th century. The first members of the order arrived in Parthenay in 1612, and the convent was partly funded by donations from the local population. Completed in 1642, the convent remained active until 1780, when it closed due to a lack of personnel. A dispute between the order and the city of Parthenay over the buildings was resolved during the French Revolution, when the complex was confiscated. In 1836, the Normal School was established on the former convent site, with some of the original buildings, including the north wing, being reused. By the 1880s, the remaining structures were demolished to accommodate the school’s growing population. The current archaeological campaign has uncovered evidence of a quarry, a discovery first suspected during a survey in 2025. Extensive excavations have confirmed that the quarry consists of multiple areas for granite extraction of varying sizes, rather than one large pit as previously thought. However, the limited number and type of artifacts found make it difficult to determine the exact time period of the quarry’s use. Although the materials used in the convent’s masonry match those found in the quarry, a direct link between the quarry’s operation and the convent’s construction has not been confirmed. Earlier surveys had identified masonry believed to belong to the eastern wing of the convent, with one section still visible on the 1834 cadastral map. Recent excavations have supported this interpretation and also revealed a cluster of pipes and structures that suggest the presence of a water management system. However, the exact relationship between these features and the convent remains unclear. Masonry has also been found along Marchioux Street, but there is no clear connection to the rest of the convent. This possibility, while not ruled out, remains uncertain. Excavations have also uncovered ditches and small pits, indicating that the site was occupied before the convent was built. While the exact date of this earlier occupation is still unknown, it may date back to the medieval period, possibly on the edge of the city’s medieval fortifications. The project is being managed by the Departmental Council of Deux-Sèvres, with scientific oversight from the Regional Archaeology Service (Drac Nouvelle-Aquitaine). The research is being conducted by Inrap, with Léo Pointereau as the scientific lead.