Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Commanderie d'Avalleur, located in Bar-sur-Seine in the Aube department, is a former Templar Commanderie founded around 1167 thanks to the donations of Count Manassès de Bar-sur-Seine. This estate initially covered 200 acres of forest and was first mentioned in 1172 in cartulars. The donations multiplied between 1173 and 1219, involving local lords and noble families, thus consolidating its land and economic heritage.

From 1312, after the dissolution of the Order of the Temple, the Commandory passed under the control of the Hospitallers of Saint John of Jerusalem. It was enlarged in 1520 by its association with Thors' command office. After becoming a national in the Revolution, it was transformed into a farm in the 19th century, with the partial destruction of its buildings, including two towers and the sheepfold.

The chapel, classified as a historic monument in 1921, is the only intact building in the commandery. In mixed Gothic and Romanesque style, it is 25 metres long and has a flat bedside pierced with three bright openings. Its interior, marked by crossovers of warheads decorated with floral motifs and traces of frescoes, contrasts with its external Romanesque portal. A square fortified turret suggests its integration into the defensive system of the site.

The last known templier of the command was Christian of Bissey. Notable hospital commanders include Jacques de Souvré, whose coat of arms adorns the northern facade of the chapel, and Gaspard-Félicien de Sommèvre, who died in 1732. The commandery extended its influence on several surrounding lands, such as Balnot-sur-Laignes and Buxières, where a Templar chapel remains.

A plan of 1695 reveals the original organization of the site: a central courtyard surrounded by a L-shaped building, a fortified gate to the north, and a round tower facing the chapel. The current remains, including the house and chapel, are open to the public from May to September, offering a rare testimony of Templar and Hospitalary architecture in Champagne.

The name Avalleur (or Valleur) derives from the Gaulish name Aballos, meaning apple tree or used as a person name. This term reflects the seigneurial origin of the estate, linked to a local land and seigneury. The archives also mention seigneurial bailis, like Pierre Capperon in 1728, managing the administrative and judicial affairs of the estate.

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