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Origin and history

Bonnefont-en-Comminges Abbey, founded in 1136 by Flandrine de Montpezat and her sons, is a Cistercian abbey located in the communes of Proupiary and Sepx, in Haute-Garonne. She played a major role in the region, both religiously and economically, by creating girls abbeys (Villelongue, Boulbonne, Perignac, Nizors, Fontclar and Labaix) and by participating in the construction of bastides such as Boussens or Plaisance du Touch. Four Counts of Comminges were buried there, including Bernard VI or VII, whose seat is now preserved at the Musée des Augustins de Toulouse.

The decline of the abbey began in the 14th century, and the French Revolution ended its monastic activity. Sold as a national good, it was partially dismantled: architectural elements were dispersed, such as the cloister (rebuilt in Saint-Gaudens and the United States) or the gate of the capitular hall (transferred to Saint-Martory). In the 1980s, associations bought the site to preserve it, allowing it to be ranked in 1984. Since 2010, the Communauté de communes du canton de Saint-Martory has managed it, with regular restorations, such as that of the cellar of conversants in 2014.

The abbey was the daughter of Morimond Abbey and illustrates the Cistercian influence in southwestern France. Its hydraulic system, its archaeological remains (lavabo, fire) and its links with the Counts of Comminges make it a remarkable historic site. The ongoing excavations and restorations aim to preserve this medieval heritage, a witness to the religious and political history of the region.

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