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Origin and history

The Priory of Notre-Dame du Chalard was founded at the end of the 11th century by Geoffroy du Chalard, who brought together a community of Augustine canons after an eremitic life. Construction of the monastery began in 1096, and the church of the Assumption was consecrated in 1100. A papal bubble of 1150 confirmed the autonomy of the priory and his possessions, consolidating his religious and economic importance in the region.

In the course of his history, the priory experienced troubled periods, including the English occupation between 1419 and 1423, which resulted in partial destruction. Developments were made in the 15th and 18th centuries, but the decline of the community intensified until the French Revolution, where the buildings were sold. Today, only the choir and transept of the church, as well as buildings housing the capitular hall, the former dormitory of the monks and a fortified structure, remain.

The capitular hall houses three granite sarcophagi and two tombstones, one of which is historial, bearing witness to its medieval past. The priory was partially restored between 1830 and 1840, and its remains were listed as historical monuments in 1997. Today, the site combines private and communal property, keeping a tangible trace of limousine religious architecture.

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