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Origin and history

The Augustine convent of Mortemart was founded in the 14th century by Cardinal Pierre Gauvain to house a community of canons dedicated to the teaching of young people. Although some remains of the medieval cloister remain, the south wing was completely rebuilt in the 18th century by architect Joseph Brousseau, transforming the building into an imposing, almost castral structure, while preserving its monastic vocation.

During the French Revolution, the convent was placed under receivership before being assigned in 1805 to the Senate of Limoges, as the neighbouring convent of the Carmelites. The estate, acquired by an individual in 1823, changed hands several times: it was bought at the end of the 19th century by Victor Henri Désert, director of the Mutuelle de Poitiers, and became a private hunting place. His family still owns it today, although the site briefly welcomed nuns in the mid-20th century.

The former chapel of the convent now serves as a parish church under the name of Saint Hilaire Church. The site, partially protected in 1987 for its 18th century facades and roofs, was expanded in 2015 to include the entire cloister, the Pigeon Barn, the hydraulic network and the pond. These elements illustrate the architectural and functional evolution of the place, from the Middle Ages to the contemporary era.

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