Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Abbey of Saint-Pierre de Preuilly-sur-Claise was founded in 1001 by Effroy, lord of Preuilly and La Roche-Posay, with the approval of King Robert II the Pious in 1012. Consecrated by the archbishop of Tours Archambauld of Sully, it initially housed the relics of Saint Melaine in a side chapel. From a cruciform plan inspired by Benedictine abbeys, it stands out for its walk-through, its three apsal chapels and its square pillars with columns, adorned with nearly 300 historic capitals representing foliage, fantastic figures and human scenes.

In the 15th century, the building was consolidated by additions of foothills, while a crypt was built under the sanctuary. The bell tower, collapsed in 1867, was rebuilt in 1873 with an arrow covered with varnished tiles, inspired by the hospices of Beaune, an unusual stylistic choice for the region. The stained glass, dating from the 19th and 20th centuries, completes the major restorations of this period. The abbey, originally the heart of a Benedictine monastery, has architectural similarities with the abbey of Fontgombault, with partially visible convent buildings (logis de l'abbé, remains of the cloister).

Classified as a Historical Monument in 1840, the abbey is today the parish church of Preuilly-sur-Claise. His originality lies in his disoriented plan, where the nave does not correspond to the axis of the choir, a particularity emphasized by historians like Charles Huysmans. The sculptures, attributed to Denis's workshop, make it a major testimony of Romanesque art in Touraine. Adjacent abbey buildings, sold as national property during the Revolution, still include the abbey mill and canonical houses of the 15th-15th century.

The history of the abbey is linked to that of the Barony of Preuilly, the first of Touraine, whose lords played a key regional role, especially during the Hundred Years War. Piled in 1369 by the English, it was restored under Eschivart VI with the help of Bertrand du Guesclin. In the 16th-17th centuries, the Wars of Religion damaged part of the building, reflecting tensions between local Catholics and Protestants. The Revolution ended the monastic presence, already reduced to a handful of monks in 1789.

In the 19th century, the abbey received renewed attention, as evidenced by the writings of Charles Audigé and Abbé Bourassé (1846). The restorations of this era, though controversial for their eclectic style (glazed arrow), allowed its preservation. Today, the building remains an active place of worship and a major tourist site, with guided tours organized by the Archeological Society of Preuilly, highlighting its capitals and its turbulent history.

The geographical context of Preuilly-sur-Claise, located at the borders of Touraine, Berry and Poitou, explains its strategic and cultural role. The valley of La Claise, rich in tuffeau, offered building materials, while the nearby forest (Parc de Boussay) and the surrounding moors complete a landscape marked by medieval history. The Abbey, with its Poterno Museum and its castral remains, forms a coherent heritage complex, illustrating the evolution of a small monastic city in a rural village of Tourangeau.

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