Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The fortified priory of Pommiers-en-Forez found its origins at the end of the 9th century, when monks of the abbey of Nantua settled there to found a Benedictine monastery. In 960, this monastery passed under the authority of Cluny Abbey, thus integrating a powerful monastic network. The Prioral Church, dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul, was built between the 11th and 12th centuries, while the former parish church Saint-Julien, now a private dwelling, served the local community.

In the 13th century, the priory of Pommiers became one of the most important in the Forez, with twelve monks and eight churches under its direct dependence, including those of Bussy, Grézolles and Saint-Germain-Laval. However, the Hundred Years' War ravaged the village, reducing the monastic community to five monks and requiring the construction of a fortified enclosure with three towers adjacent to the monastery. This demographic decline contrasts with its medieval golden age.

The priory welcomed two kings of France: Charles VII in 1452, who signed an edict confirming the privileges of the University of Caen, and François I in 1531 and 1537, during his travels related to the integration of the Forez into the royal domain. In the 16th century, the priory fell as a beginning, and a prioral home was built. Among his notable priors were Mérand de Grolée-Viriville, Antoine d'Hostun, and seven members of Rostaing's family, including Raymond de Nolhac.

The French Revolution marked the end of monastic life in Pommiers: the monks left the place in 1792, and the priory was sold as a national good. A significant part of the site was classified as a historical monument in 1983, preserving this architectural and spiritual testimony of medieval and modern times.

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