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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The former priory fontevrist of Fongrave, founded probably in the 12th or 13th century on the edge of the Lot, was a major religious place affiliated with the order of Fontevraud. His history was marked by repeated destruction: first during the Hundred Years' War, then during the Wars of Religion, especially in 1574 and 1586, when the Protestants, led by Geoffroy de Vivant, took the town and destroyed the Priorial Church. The nuns then had to take refuge in the parish church of Saint-Léger. After these ravages, the convent buildings were restored in 1591 on the ruins of the Saint John House of the Habit, and rebuilt in 1643 with the church.

In the seventeenth century, the priory experienced a period of reconstruction and expansion. In 1651, the dormitory called the Holy Sacrament, backed by the church, was built by the master mason of Genius Guiraud, while another dormitory required repairs in 1668. A tower in the southeast corner, rebuilt in the late 17th or early 18th century, was later transformed into a dovecote. The priory housed 42 nuns in 1668 and 32 in the 18th century. Its temporality included land use and a mill on the Lot, reflecting its economic and agricultural importance.

The Revolution marked a turning point: the priory, sold as a national good, lost much of its buildings before 1837. In the 19th century, the remaining structures, such as the arched gallery and brick facades, were partially restored, with stone additions for the chambranles. The presbytery, installed in the east wing, became a lodging in 1995, while the whole was classified as a Historic Monument in 1996. The current remains, including two covered galleries and a quarter-round dovecote, bear witness to its conventual past and architectural transformations.

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