Ancien prieuré Saint-Pierre

English translation

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History

In 1040, a charter of Geoffrey Martel, Count of Anjou, grants his lands of Pont-l'Abbé and the church to the abbey of Vendôme. In 1047, he withdraws this gift in favour of the monastery Notre-Dame de Saintes which he founds with his wife. In the 14th century, an important priory is built, with a direct communication with the church, at the location of the south arm of the transept. The buildings were demolished several times, including during the Wars of Religion. After these, an almost complete reconstruction takes place in the early 17th century. The main façade faces, to the west, onto a courtyard accessed by passing under a stone porch. The western façade is extended by a wing in slight offset, apparently of the same period. The entrance door is representative of the art of the first half of the 17th century. The opening is a round arch. The voussoirs are decorated with vermiculation. Flat pilasters carry a moulded entablature. Above, a coat of arms is held by two leopards. A sort of square tower surmounts the central part of the building. It is flanked by an overhanging turret to the north, and the start of another smaller one to the south. The door of the eastern façade recalls this one. Inside, almost all the rooms have retained 17th-century fireplaces.