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Base Mérimée: Monuments historiques · France

Ancien prieuré bénédictin

Varen, Tarn-et-Garonne, France

The record

Designation
Historic monument, classified (classé), in part
Protection
classé MH partiellement
Extent of protection
Le bâtiment conventuel (cad. AB 220) : classement par arrêté du 8 septembre 1999
Protection dates
1999/09/08 : classé MH
Type
prieuré
Main period of construction
14e siècle
Ownership
propriété de la commune
Commune
Varen
Département
Tarn-et-Garonne
Region
Occitanie
Country
France
Coordinates
44.15756, 1.89370
Mérimée reference
PA82000005

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IGN France — Géoportail

5 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1778 map "17 Albi." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

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This record on the Ministère de la Culture's POP platform ↗

The Ministère de la Culture's notice

Le prieuré bénédictin, mentionné dans un acte de 972, ne fut que tardivement rattaché à l'abbaye d'Aurillac. Au sud de l'église reconstruite par les moines de la fin du 11e siècle, un ensemble conventuel fut édifié auquel on ajouta un château au début du 16e siècle pour servir de résidence aux doyens seigneurs des lieux. Sécularisé en 1561, le monastère devait être peu à peu abandonné et ses bâtiments voués à un lente dégradation. Dès la fin du 17e siècle, le cloître était ruiné. A la Révolution, lors de la suppression du chapitre et de la vente de ses possessions comme biens nationaux, seuls demeuraient le château et l'aile conventuelle mitoyenne qui lui servait de dépendance. Reliant l'église et le château, le bâtiment conventuel du 14e siècle, seul vestige en élévation de l'ancien monastère, a été récemment acquis par la commune qui souhaite en entreprendre la réhabilitation

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Ministère de la Culture, in French. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Ministère de la Culture; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

The Benedictine priory, mentioned in a deed of 972, was only belatedly attached to the abbey of Aurillac. South of the church rebuilt by the monks at the end of the 11th century, a convent complex was built to which a castle was added at the beginning of the 16th century to serve as a residence for the deans who were lords of the place. Secularised in 1561, the monastery was gradually abandoned and its buildings destined to slow degradation. From the end of the 17th century, the cloister was in ruins. At the Revolution, upon the suppression of the chapter and the sale of its possessions as national property, only the castle and the adjoining convent wing which served as its dependency remained. Linking the church and the castle, the 14th-century convent building, sole remaining vestige in elevation of the former monastery, was recently acquired by the commune which wishes to undertake its rehabilitation.

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Base Mérimée, Ministère de la Culture, data last updated 2026-09-17, reused under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab). Record text is reproduced unchanged. Ministère de la Culture · Licence Ouverte 2.0
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