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Origin and history

The Priory of Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Villedieu-le-Château was founded in the 11th century by Geoffroy Martel, Count of Anjou, and placed under the dependence of the abbey of the Trinity of Vendôme. This religious monument, typical of primitive Romanesque architecture, was enlarged in the 12th century, notably by reshaping its chapel. His initial role was primarily spiritual, linked to the Benedictine monastic life of the region.

Between 1380 and 1385, during the Hundred Years' War, the priory was transformed into a defensive citadel, surrounded by walls flanked by towers, ditches, and endowed with a governor. This militarization reflects political tensions and the need for local protection at that time. The prioral lodge, adjacent to the north courtine, and a quadrangular dungeon at the southeast corner still bear witness to this period.

The French Revolution marked a tragic turning point for the priory: sold as a national good in 1793, it was abandoned and the chapel collapsed in 1805, for lack of maintenance. Today, only protected remains remain: the remains of the church (registered in 1929) and all the ruins of the priory and its enclosure (registered in 1951). The site preserves traces of its cloister, formerly located north of the church, and its medieval defensive system.

The priory thus illustrates a dual history, both religious (monastic life, abbatial dependence) and military ( 14th century citadel). Its present state of partial ruins offers a fragmentary but precious testimony of these successive epochs, in a preserved rural setting of the Loir-et-Cher.

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