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Origin and history

The former Commanderie des Hospitaliers de Lardiers, located in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, dates back to the first half of the 13th century. Founded by the Order of Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem, it was initially a ladrerie (leproserie), as evidenced by the toponyme Lardiers, attested as early as 1261. In 1338, the Commanderie had 14 hospital brothers and ran a lease of three other sites: Lachau, Saint-Maurice and Les Omergues. Its economy, though precarious, ensured some self-sufficiency until the 14th century crisis, which led to its decline.

The command office lost its autonomous status in 1411, becoming a dependency of that of Avignon. During the Revolution, the site was seized as national property and sold. In the 19th century, changes partially altered its structure, but the medieval organization of buildings around a lower yard remains visible. The Sainte-Anne church, founded at the end of the 12th century by the Hospitallers, retains original elements such as its Romanesque portal and flat bedside. The nave, originally vaulted in a broken cradle, was remodeled in the 17th and 19th centuries with ridge vaults and side chapels.

Classified as a Historic Monument in 1978 for its portal, the church was partially protected in 2017, as was the vaulted façades and halls of the Conventual Logis. Today, the site combines communal and private property, with vestiges of its past role in welcoming pilgrims, sick people, and local agricultural management. The successive transformations reflect its adaptation to religious and social needs over nearly eight centuries.

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