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Origin and history

The former monastery of Sauxillanges was founded in 927 by Acfred of Aquitaine for twelve Benedictine monks. Attached to Cluny Abbey in the mid-10th century, he became one of the most important priories in Auvergne. The Romanesque room, probably dating from the 11th century, and the dogive vaulted parts of the 15th century bear witness to its architectural evolution. The present cloister, rebuilt in the seventeenth century, is the only major vestige with the house body, which still houses this medieval room.

The Clunisian monks occupied the place until the French Revolution. In 1840 the brothers of the Christian schools established a school there, before being expelled in 1904. The monastery once included a church today destroyed, a mass grave for the bones of the monks, and outbuildings (caves, stables, loggers). Only the rectangle cloister remains with its covered gallery and the main building, which was discovered in the 17th century. The ensemble was classified as a Historical Monument in 1969 for its remaining parts.

The south wing, facing south, housed the religious apartments, extended by an open gallery leading to the gardens. Under this building, vaulted cellars and storage spaces (cuvages, stables) were arranged. The cemetery of the monks, located in the cloister, was associated with a mass grave where the exhumed bones were stored. Today, the site, located 8 Place du Huit Mai in Sauxillanges (Puy-de-Dôme), maintains an average location accuracy (level 6/10) according to available sources.

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