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Origin and history

The Notre-Dame de Val Paradis monastery was founded in the middle of the 12th century. Around 1155, the monk Bertrand de Civray, called Bertrand de Griffeuille, native of Poitou, founded an oratory called Ispaniacus (Espagnac) on the banks of the Célé, near the church of Brengues. This place, granted by the Viscount of Calvignac, becomes a priory under the invocation of Our Lady. Prior to his death in 1169, Bertrand, wishing for an eremitical life, bequeathed his foundations to the Augustine canons of the Abbey of Our Lady of the Crown, near Angoulême. His oratory in Estorrotz, probably located in the Cantal, marks the end of his first foundation.

A second foundation took place in 1210 under the leadership of Ademar, abbot of The Crown. Elizabeth, first Prioress, established a community of Augustinian canonesses in Espagnac. The prioress must be elected and then confirmed by the lords of Hébard de Saint-Sulpice, linked to the abbey. This female monastery is part of the 13th century religious reform movement, where canonial orders develop under the protection of local noble families.

The third foundation, at the turn of the 14th century, was marked by the reconstruction of the monastery under the protection of Aymeric Hebron of Saint Sulpice, bishop of Coimbra. The church of Saint Augustine, completed around 1289, incorporates the bishop's tomb, erected before 1295. The bedside, rebuilt between 1320 and 1340, bears the coat of arms of the Cardaillac-Brengues, an influential family linked to Pope John XXII. The lateral chapels date from the first half of the 14th century. In the 17th century, a partial restoration left the western half in ruins, reducing the church to its bedside and part of the nave.

The monastery, inscribed in the historical monuments in 1925, preserves remarkable elements such as the fortified gate and the priory apartments. Its history reflects the links between religious power, local nobility and medieval architecture, as well as the transformations over the centuries. The current remains bear witness to its central role in the spiritual and social life of the region, from its Cistercian foundation to its progressive decline.

Historical sources, including the work of Edmond Albe and Louis d'Alauzier, underline the importance of coats of arms and gissers to date reconstructions. The tomb of Gaillard de Cardaillac (died 1359), archdeacon of Rodez, confirms the lasting influence of this family. The monastery, now a communal property, remains a major witness to the religious and architectural heritage of Quercy.

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