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Origin and history

The presbytery of Notre-Dame-de-Recouvrance, integrated with the former Priory Notre-Dame de Bonne-Nouvelle, is a building located in Orléans, Loiret. Founded in the 12th century on alleged Gallo-Roman remains, the monastery was first a Benedictine priory dependent on Marmoutier. After destruction in 1562 and 1567, it was rebuilt in 1670, with a church added in 1740. At the time of the Revolution, the site became a national property, housing the departmental management board as early as 1790.

The current architecture reflects major changes during the Second Empire, including the addition of galleries and the adaptation of facades for administrative purposes. The main building, parallel to the Loire, preserves 17th century elements, like a staircase of honour dated 1680. The facades and roofs, as well as a medieval vaulted cellar, have been protected as historical monuments since 2005 and 2008.

The site, today the Loiret prefecture, illustrates the evolution of a religious place into a civil institution. Its irregular quadrilateral organization, with gardens and courtyards, bears witness to its historical importance. The antiquitant decorations (frontons, pilasters) and the local materials (calcareous, cut stone) highlight its architectural heritage.

The first mention of a religious establishment on the site dates back to the ninth century, with a succession of communities (canonies, religious) before its attachment to Marmoutier. The Benedictines of Saint-Maur, installed in 1653, started the reconstructions of the seventeenth century. The destruction of the church in 1807 and the extensions of the 19th century marked its transition to an administrative role.

The protected elements include facades, roofs, a terraced garden, and remarkable interiors such as the honorary staircase. A departmental property, the site remains a symbol of Orléan heritage, mixing religious, revolutionary and institutional history.

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