Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Antoine-de-la-Lande Commanderie, located in Saint-Marc-la-Lande in Deux-Sèvres, finds its origins in 1260 with the donation of a chapel dedicated to Saint Vaize, placed under the dependence of the general command of Bouthier (near Cognac). The Antonin Order, dedicated to the care of the sick (especially the "evil of the ardent"), establishes a religious and hospitable center. The present church, of flamboyant Gothic style, was rebuilt in the 15th century under the impetus of François de Tournon, Archbishop of Embrun and then Cardinal and Abbé General of the Order in 1542, marking a phase of architectural renewal.

The wars of Religion ravaged command, aggravated by the actions of Louis de Lezignac. Despite these destructions, a revival took place in the seventeenth century: in 1654 the decision was taken to establish a regular house there, and in 1659 the superior Antoine Caron launched works. In 1777, the commandary passed to the order of St John of Jerusalem, changing obedience before the Revolution. The church, abandoned after 1789, was not restored to worship until 1844 after the restoration of its vaults.

The architecture of the commandory mixes medieval remains and posterior changes. The church, cut short and separated from its sacristy, preserves a vaulted chapel decorated with a Renaissance key and a western facade carved with flamboyant motifs. The monastic buildings, profoundly modified in the 18th and 19th centuries, keep only one span of the cloister, a staircase with screws, and three Gothic arcades marking the location of the old capitular hall. The ruins were classified as historical monument in 1929.

In the 21st century, the commandery, a communal property, was led by the association "La Maison du Patrimoine", which made it a cultural place. Its history reflects religious upheavals (passing from the Antonins to the Hospitallers), local conflicts, and the adaptation of buildings throughout the centuries. The site also includes historical revenues, such as the chapel Saint-Guérin-et-Saint-Eutrope in Brittany, given in 1486 by Maurice du Maine, seigneur of Tholgoet.

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