Presumed Foundation Avant 1081 (≈ 1081)
Mention in a 1081 charter confirming donations.
1179
Pontifical Bull of Alexander III
Pontifical Bull of Alexander III 1179 (≈ 1179)
Papal protection and adoption of the Augustinian rule.
XVIe siècle
Wars of Religion
Wars of Religion XVIe siècle (≈ 1650)
Seat and partial destruction by the Huguenots (1577).
1665
Reform of Chancelade
Reform of Chancelade 1665 (≈ 1665)
Spiritual renewal for the canons.
Vers 1750
18th-century reconstruction
18th-century reconstruction Vers 1750 (≈ 1750)
Logis of the monks and outbuildings rebuilt.
1792
Sale as a national good
Sale as a national good 1792 (≈ 1792)
Purchased by Robert Skinner in 1797.
1840
First classification Historic Monument
First classification Historic Monument 1840 (≈ 1840)
Protection of the abbey church.
1973
Purchase by the municipality
Purchase by the municipality 1973 (≈ 1973)
Protection after decades of degradation.
2023
New classification
New classification 2023 (≈ 2023)
Protection extended to remains and homes.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Abbatial church: ranking by list of 1840; The remains of the former Abbey of Vertheuil, in whole, with the exception of the classified elements, these vestiges comprising the following elements: the east wing of the Abbatial House, the only remaining, in whole, with the exception of its two interior staircases with their wrought iron ramp and the remains of its capitular hall classified as Historic Monument, with its anterior courtyard and terrace (park n°252), the enclosed garden (park n°251), the facades and roofs of the old outbuildings and the ruins of the old water mill and their plot (park n°248), the land corresponding to the north and north-west peripheries of the right-of-way of the former Abbey (park n°18, 249 and 250), the square of the Abbatial Church (area not cadastral but bounded by a dotted to the west and south of the Church, parcel n°20), the passage to the enclosed garden along the chevet of the Church (park n°21), the square of the Abbatial Church (area n°21) in accordance with the plan annexed to the order, the following section: The entire remaining wing of the house of the former abbey Saint-Pierre, as well as the anterior courtyard, with its fence walls and gate, and the terrace along the eastern façade of the house, with its retaining walls and the staircase linking it to the garden, including the floor of the sitting plot and the archaeological remains contained therein, all situated on parcel No. 252 in the cadastre of the commune section AB, as shown on the plan annexed to the decree: classification by decree of 26 June 2023
Key figures
Guillaume VIII d'Aquitaine - Suspected Founder
Mentioned in a charter of 1081.
Alexandre III - Pope
Author of the 1179 bubble.
Eudon (ou Eudes) - First known abbot (1106)
Benedictine religious of La Sauve-Major.
Nicolas de La Chassaigne - Merchant Abbé (1552-1573)
Uncle de Montaigne, member of Parliament.
Robert Skinner - Acquirer in 1797
Bordeaux shipowner turning the abbey into a residence.
Joseph-Adolphe Thiac - 19th century architect
Responsible for major restorations.
Origin and history
Saint Peter's Abbey of Vertheuil, founded in the 11th century, is mentioned for the first time in a pontifical bubble of 1179 under Pope Alexander III. According to the fragmentary archives, it was founded by Guillaume VIII d'Aquitaine before 1081, as evidenced by a charter of 1081 confirming donations. Initially Benedictine, it came under the rule of the regular canons of St Augustine in the 12th century. The local legend evokes an older origin, with paleo-Christian foundations on Gallo-Roman ruins.
In the Middle Ages, the abbey suffered destruction during the wars of Religion, especially in 1577, when the Viscount of Castillon, head of the Huguenots, was seated and looted the monastery, destroying part of the archives. The claustral buildings, several times rebuilt, preserve only medieval remains such as vaulted cellars, Gothic arcades and a bread oven. In 1665 the reform of Chancelade was introduced, marking a period of spiritual renewal.
In the 18th century, the abbey was radically redesigned: a new home of monks and outbuildings were built around 1750 with the stones of the old walls. At the Revolution, in 1792, it was declared national property and sold in 1797 to Robert Skinner, a Bordeaux shipowner of Scottish origin. Transformed into a private residence, it lost some of its structures, such as the left wing housing kitchens, whose stones were sold after 1940. The abbey church, classified in 1840, preserves Romanesque and Gothic elements, including a rare walk in Gironde and carved capitals.
The church, fortified during the Wars of Religion, has a four-span nave and a bedside with three chapels. Its bell towers, a novel to the north and a defensive to the south, are unique in the region. The Romanesque portal, modified in the seventeenth century, has sculptures inspired by Revelation. Inside, liturgical furniture includes 15th century stalls, a wooden lutrin and classified baptismal fonts, testifying to the artistic richness of the monastery.
In the 19th century, the church was restored by Bordeaux architects like Joseph-Adolphe Thiac and Paul Abadie. In 1973, the commune of Vertheuil bought the abbey to stop its degradation. Since then, successive protections for historical monuments (classifications in 1840, 1974 and 2023) have preserved its remains, including the capitular hall, the interior staircases and the English park.
Today, Saint-Pierre de Vertheuil Abbey, a communal property, embodies a medieval and classical heritage, marked by its monastic history, its architectural transformations and its role in the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Its remains, combining Romanesque, Gothic and neo-classical art, make it an emblematic site of the Gironde.
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