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Origin and history

The church of the Dominican convent of Saint-Emilion found its origins shortly after the foundation of the order of Jacobins in 1215. Originally installed outside the city walls, the convent was exposed to the ravages of wars, forcing the religious to take refuge in the city. It was only in 1378 that John, lord of Neuville and lieutenant general of the king in Guyenne, granted them an intramural plot of land to rebuild their establishment. This transfer was officially validated by Pope Boniface IX in 1397, marking the beginning of the construction of the new convent.

From the original convent, it remains today only a large 26-metre wall, vestige of the church. It consisted of a nave of three vaulted spans, supported by slender columns decorated with vertical scrolls. The ogival windows, characteristic of the Gothic style, were decorated with trilobed bays and quadrilobed circles, illustrating 14th century religious art. These architectural elements reflect the influence of Dominicans, also called Jacobins, in the region.

The only protected remains, known as the Great Wall, were inscribed in the Historical Monuments by order of 2 July 1957. Located outside the urban enclosure, they recall the strategic and spiritual importance of this convent, linked to both local conflicts and the religious life of Saint-Emilion. The building, now partially disappeared, offers a fragmentary but precious testimony of the medieval history of the city and Dominican order in Aquitaine.

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