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Origin and history

La commanderie de Coulours is a former Templar Commanderie located in the village of Coulours, in the department of l'Yonne, Burgundy-Franche-Comté. Mentioned in 1338, it is one of the oldest in France. Originally established on a road between Joigny and Troyes, it was part of both the Diocese of Sens and the County of Champagne, while still dependent on the seigneury of the Viscounts of Joigny.

From the end of the 15th century, Coulours became a major regional centre for nail production, home to many nail makers. Templars had previously exploited local metallurgical resources in the 12th and 13th centuries. The commandary, surrounded by a wall in 1460, was destroyed in 1567 by the Protestants, before being partially rebuilt under Commander Rouxel de Médavy, without the church vaults being restored.

Archaeological excavations were carried out in the chapel prior to 1985, although their detailed results remain poorly documented. The entire site, including the buildings, the floor and the fence wall, was listed as historical monuments by order of 16 November 2009. Today, the nave retains a wooden frame dating back to the 15th century, vestige of its medieval past.

The commandory is located outside the fortifications of the village, erected in the 16th century after the Battle of Pavia (1525). Its strategic location, on a historic road between Joigny and Troyes, reflects its role in regional exchanges and the seigneurial organization of the time. It also illustrates the transition between the Templar and Hospital orders, marking the religious and economic history of Burgundy.

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