Initial construction period XIIe siècle (≈ 1250)
Augustinian Priory Foundation.
1326
First written entry
First written entry 1326 (≈ 1326)
Documentary attestation of the existing priory.
XVe siècle
Construction phase or remodelling
Construction phase or remodelling XVe siècle (≈ 1550)
Work attested by sources.
1777
Pre-revolutionary description
Pre-revolutionary description 1777 (≈ 1777)
Buildings still intact before the Revolution.
14 novembre 1980
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 14 novembre 1980 (≈ 1980)
Protection of the ruins and buildings.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Church ruins, including the South Chapel; facades and roofs of conventual buildings (cad. B 286, 290, 821): classification by order of 14 November 1980
Key figures
Roi de France (non nommé) - Appointment of the Prior
Designated the prior until the 18th.
Chanoines de Saint-Augustin - Resident religious community
Managed the priory until its dissolution.
Origin and history
The Priory of Notre-Dame-d'Oulmes, located in Nuaillé-sur-Boutonne, Charente-Maritime, is a former priory of Canons of Saint-Augustin, whose first written mention dates back to 1326. The prior was appointed by the king, attesting to his institutional importance. On the eve of the French Revolution in 1777, a detailed description revealed that most of the convent buildings were still intact. Today, only remains remain: a church in ruins accompanied by a chapel, as well as two bodies of rectangular buildings arranged in right angle, separated by a gate.
Ranked Historic Monument by decree of 14 November 1980, the site specifically protects the ruins of the church (including its southern chapel) and the facades/roofs of the remaining convent buildings. Two sculpted harpsichords, now preserved at the Musée d'art de Saint-Louis (Missouri, USA), could come from this priory, although their exact origin is not formally confirmed. The current configuration of the site, with its buildings arranged in square, partially reflects the original spatial organization, as described before the Revolution.
The priory illustrates the medieval and modern religious architecture of the region, marked by an alternation of phases of construction (XII and XV centuries) and decline. Its history is part of the wider context of the monastic establishments of the Poitou-Charentes, often linked to royal or seigneurial powers. The presence of Augustinian canons, an order known for its role in the spiritual and social supervision of the countryside, suggests a function both religious and community for local populations.
The available sources (Wikipedia, Monumentum) highlight the partial state of conservation of the site, where the ruins border architectural elements still standing. The exact address, "9000 Grand Oulme", and its Insee code (17268) confirm its territorial anchoring in the commune of Nuaillé-sur-Boutonne. Despite its ranking, the priory does not appear to be systematically open to the visit, and its current use (rent, guest rooms) is not documented.
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