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Origin and history

The Collège Notre-Dame de Thouars, former seigneurial chapel of the Dukes of La Tremeille, was built between 1499 and 1515 in a flamboyant Gothic and Renaissance style. Commanded by Louis II de La Tremeille and his wife Gabrielle de Bourbon, she replaced a medieval parish church in poor condition, despite opposition from the local clergy. The project, inspired by Gabrielle, enjoyed Louis' political support in the court of France and in the Holy See.

The building, classified as a historical monument as early as 1840, initially served as a private chapel and collegiate church, housing a relic of the True Cross brought back from Rome in 1506. Its construction in three levels (high, low and funeral vault) reflects a hierarchical social organization. The original stained glass windows, destroyed during the Revolution, were replaced in 1957 by creations by Max Ingrand. The façade, innovative for the period, combines a Gothic portal and a Renaissance loggia unique in France.

In the wars of Vendée (1793) and Libération (1944), the college changed ownership several times. Sold in 1873 to the heirs of La Tremeille, it was restored by the architect Juste Lisch before being assigned in 1986 to the Priestly Fraternity of Saint-Pie-X. Today, it is privately owned and accessible during guided tours. Its architecture, studied from the 18th century, is considered a major milestone of Italianism in Poitou.

Local materials (Tuffeau de Tourtenay, pierre de Loudun) and the three-nave structure without transept illustrate a bold synthesis of styles. The family vault, which was violated during the Revolution, housed the burials of the Tremoilus, whose girders were destroyed. The relic of the True Cross, stolen in 1793, gave the building a status of holy chapel since 1515.

The historical debate relates to the location of the former Notre-Dame church, some researchers suggesting that it was troglodytic under the current collegiate. The archives also reveal tensions between the sponsors and the local clergy, as well as the direct involvement of Gabrielle de Bourbon in the management of the site, while Louis II used his political influence to obtain pontifical authorizations.

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