Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The priory of Saint Thomas was founded in 1107 by Hugues I of Amboise, lord of Touraine, before being attached to the Benedictine abbey of Pontlevoy. This priory, located south of the park of the Château du Clos Lucé, was a fief dependent on the castle of Amboise. Its current buildings, dating from the 16th century, include a house with stone facades and wooden panels, as well as a pyramidal roofing escape (pigeon tree).

The facades and roofs of the remaining buildings, as well as the runaway, were listed as historical monuments by order of 14 September 1949. These remains represent the only complete elements still visible from the original priory. The site is located on the edge of the Montrichard road, near the Clos Lucé, and includes traces of the old chapel integrated into a recent construction.

The residence of the prior, composed of two bodies of buildings, is distinguished by its stone snout bays and a north facade made of wood. The square, brick-built fuye has an inner octagonal structure. These elements illustrate the religious and seigneurial architecture of the Renaissance in Touraine, marked by the influence of Benedictine abbeys and local lords such as Amboise.

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