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Origin and history

The buttress house of Pondaurat is a medieval building located in the Gironde department, in the heart of the village, in front of Saint-Antoine church. This building, erected in the 14th century, was originally used as a hospital for the Antonine monastery, a religious order founded in Dauphiné in 1095 and dedicated to the care of skin diseases. Its location on a road to Compostela underlines its historical and religious importance.

In 1254, two letters from Henry III of England attested to the importance of the monastery hospital of Pondaurat. The building suffered major damage in 1577 when it was set on fire by the Huguenots, and then rebuilt in the late 17th or early 18th century. After the abolition of the Antonins in 1776, the monastery was ordered to Malta before being sold as a national property in 1790. The commune bought some of the buildings to make it the presbytery and chapel, transformed into a church of the village.

The buttress house, located a few meters northwest of the church, features remains of scauguettes and medieval bays. It was listed as a historical monument on 12 July 1990 for its facades and roof, bearing witness to its typical medieval architecture. Its history is linked to that of the Antonins, whose hospital and religious mission deeply marked the region.

Today, the buttress house remains a remarkable example of medieval civil architecture in Gironde. Its inscription as a historical monument preserves this heritage, while recalling the role of religious orders in the care and reception of pilgrims in the Middle Ages.

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