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Origin and history

The abbey of Saint-Pierre-ès-Liens de Tourtoirac, located in the valley of the Auvezère in Dordogne, was founded between 1003 and 1025 by Viscount Guier de Limoges under the influence of the Abbey of Uzerche. She adopted the Benedictine rule and was endowed with lands and churches by the Vicomtal family, including Saint-Hilaire and Sainte-Trie. Its abbey church, built in the 11th–12th century, presents a rare clover plan, inspired by Limousin models.

In the 12th century, the abbey prospered under papal protection, accumulating priories and incomes. However, internal conflicts, such as electoral schisms (1180) or accusations against Abbé Adémar de Neuville (1307), marked his history. The wars of Religion in the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century accelerated its decline, despite the construction of an abbatial home in 1600.

Ranked a historic monument in 1960, the abbey preserves Romanesque remains (capitular room, chapel, towers) and a medieval monastic enclosure. The restorations of the 19th to 20th centuries, especially on the apsidioles (1995), preserved this testimony of perigordine religious architecture.

The excavations and studies (abbé de Chadois, 1959) revealed historical capitals attributed to the sculptor of Saint-Robert, confirming the artistic ties with Limousin. Today, the site combines medieval ruins and 17th century buildings, illustrating its evolution over seven centuries.

The abbey was a major spiritual and economic center, controlling land as far as Excideuil and Hautefort. His decline began with the dispersal of the monks after the Wars of Religion, and then his transformation into a commodity. The abbots, like Pierre de Beaupoil (XVIIIth century), attempted renovations, but the Revolution sealed its abandonment.

The successive protections (1939, 1960, 2012) cover the church, the abbey house, and the enclosure walls. The painted capitals and the Romanesque decor make it a unique example in Périgord, linked to the limousine sculptural school. Lost archives (cartular) limit the knowledge of its first decades.

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