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Origin and history

The Commandery of Temple-sur-Lot, also called Commandery of Brulhes, was founded at the end of the 12th century by the order of the Temple, after a donation by Rainfroid I of Montpezat. Originally established in Agen in the house of Sainte-Quitterie, the commandory was transferred to the banks of the Lot once the castle of the Temple was completed. This first building, rectangular and made of cut stone, was divided by a longitudinal split wall. The Templars created a fortified bastide there despite the protests of local lords, such as Guillaume Amanieu de Castelmoron-sur-Lot, who renounced their rights in 1288.

In the 13th century, the command office became a strategic centre for order, accumulating goods and rights (paages, tithes) in the region. After the dissolution of the Templars in 1309, their possessions passed to the Hospitallers of the order of Saint John of Jerusalem, except the church of Port Saint Mary. The command office was partially destroyed during the Hundred Years' War, then rebuilt in brick between 1485 and 1510 under the impulse of Commander Bertrand de Gros and Commander Tannequin de Bussel. The works include a house with a corner tower and a spiral staircase, typical of Renaissance architecture.

Between 1506 and 1650, the command office was attached to that of La Cavalerie, before being restored in 1650. The Hospitallers exercised a regional authority, despite conflicts with the local lords and consuls of Agen, as evidenced by the proceedings for the rights to the Sainte-Quitterie district. In the 18th century, the Church of Saint-Quitterie of Agen, dependent on the commandory, was destroyed to build a house of the Refuge. The commandory, classified as a Historical Monument in 1952, retains defensive elements (turns, cannons) and vaulted cellars, reflecting its role both religious, military and economic.

Archaeological excavations, including those of Jacques Pons and Michel Daynès, revealed traces of the original Templar building, such as the east wall and the church foundations. The coats of arms of the Hospitallers, which were burned during the Revolution, recall the political upheavals that marked its history. Today, the site, restored, hosts a sports accommodation center, perpetuating its vocation to welcome initiated by religious-military orders.

The command office is part of a wider network of Templar and Hospital properties in Agenais, including sites such as Sainte-Foy-de-Jérusalem, Port-Sainte-Marie or Gavaudun. These properties, often sources of litigation, illustrate the influence of orders in the region, between seigneurial management, protection of pilgrims and economic exploitation (peaches, tithes). The Temple of Brulhes, with its fortified enclosure and brick house, remains an emblematic example of Southwestern military and religious architecture.

The historical sources, such as the works of Jacqueline Chaumié or Antoine du Bourg, underline the importance of this commandery in the organisation of the great priory of Toulouse. The archives also mention recurring conflicts with the lords of Montpezat or local authorities, revealing tensions between religious and secular powers. The commandery, through its architectural evolution and successive functions, offers a tangible witness to the political and social changes between the Middle Ages and the modern era.

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