Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

Saint John de la Castelle Abbey, originally called Gratia Dei or Grace-Dieu, is founded around 1073 on the banks of the Adour, near Aire-sur-l'Adour. This Benedictine convent was rebuilt around 1140 by Pierre Vicomte de Bigorre on the monastic ruins of the valley, after the Battle of La Castelle. No records were found prior to 1220, leaving in the shadow the first occupants of the site.

The abbey, attached to the estate of Gascogne, suffered serious damage during the wars of Religion. In 1568 and 1570, the Huguenots of Montgomery destroyed it, killing the nuns and destroying the library and archives. After a fire in 1728, a new monastery was built between 1740 and 1760 to house the novitiate, sheltering up to 30 clerics before the Revolution.

In 1792, the building was transformed into a castle after the departure of the religious, and the chapel and cloister were destroyed in 1832. The entrance gate was dismantled in 1839 and transferred to the castle of Amou. Since then, the site has been converted into a haras, retaining part of its architectural heritage despite historical upheavals.

External links