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Origin and history

The Clastres farm, located in the heart of the village of Sainte-Eulalie in Ardèche, was originally a rural priory dependent on the Abbey of Saint-Chaffre du Monastier. A clastre referred to a closed place run by monks, and this site was one of many in Vivarais, such as Montpezat or the Sagnes. Although the medieval building has disappeared, recent excavations attest to a human occupation from the 12th to 13th centuries on this land.

In 1542, the will of Antoine Surrel, priest of the Moline, already mentions "the house and claustre of Sainte-Eulalie". In the 17th century, archives reveal that the estate, then called the estate of the Clastre, housed a farmer (or barner) in the service of the Abbé, as well as a woman living in charity, the Gérenton. In 1697, Jean-Antoine Soleilhac, farmer of Clastre, signed a lease for another local estate, illustrating the agricultural activity of the site.

The Revolution transformed the priory into a national good: sold in 1791 for 9,200 pounds to Jean-Pierre Arnaud, it was described as "a house covered with broom". The current building dates mainly from 1571-1573, with renovations in 1738-1740 (carpent) and expansion in 1862 to create two houses. Classified as a historic monument in 1984, the farm is now owned by the Liger Association, which has built an ethnobotanical garden dedicated to local medicinal plants.

Dendrochronological analyses confirmed the construction phases, while notarial archives (1542, 1675, 1695) shed light on its social history. The site, in the process of restoration, retains a characteristic structure and roof of broom, while playing a cultural and educational role thanks to its hort and associative activities.

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