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Origin and history

The former hospital Saint John, also called priory, finds its origins in 13th century writings evoking a first hospital with chapel, whose exact location remains unknown. As early as the 14th century, a new hospital house and a chapel were built, probably on the site of the old building. This complex, characteristic of medieval religious and charitable establishments, included a central courtyard serving as a cloister, surrounded by buildings organized around a covered walkway and an arcade gallery.

In 1569, the hospital was set on fire by Protestants during the Wars of Religion, requiring reconstruction in the early seventeenth century. In the 18th century, it was replaced by the former convent of the Clares and served as a charitable home for the poor in the parish until the French Revolution. Closed in 1791, he briefly reopened under the Concordat before a definitive closure in 1830. The site was then sold to the department and converted into a gendarmerie, illustrating the frequent reallocation of religious heritage after the Revolution.

The architecture of the hospital and its chapel reflects its evolution: the main facade, with a staircase in baluster stone and a gallery, bears witness to the 17th and 18th century developments. The chapel, inscribed in the Historical Monuments in 1925, and the facades (protected in 1966) recall its dual hospital and spiritual role. The central courtyard, originally conceived as a cloister in the 14th century, and the seven arches of the covered walkway highlight the influence of monastic models in medieval hospitals.

Today, the site belongs in part to the department and commune of Montignac-Lascaux. Although its current use (visits, rentals, accommodation) is not specified, its history reflects the transformations of charitable institutions in France, from medieval origins to revolutionary upheavals. The location, noted as "a priori satisfactory" (level 6/10), allows to identify the monument at 311 Rue du Quatre Septembre, in the historical center of Montignac.

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