Foundation of the Priory vers 1180 (≈ 1180)
Priory Our Lady founded by the Grandmontans.
1er quart XIIIe siècle
Construction of the Convention
Construction of the Convention 1er quart XIIIe siècle (≈ 1325)
Conventual building and vaulted rooms.
1650
Decoration of the high altar
Decoration of the high altar 1650 (≈ 1650)
Pierre Biardeau sculpts the prioral altar.
14 octobre 1963
Partial classification
Partial classification 14 octobre 1963 (≈ 1963)
Chapel and sacristy protected.
février 2015
Sale of the statue
Sale of the statue février 2015 (≈ 2015)
Saint Stephen auctioned.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Chapel, sacristy and room above (Box B4,833): classification by order of 14 October 1963
Key figures
Pierre Biardeau (1608–1671) - Baroque sculptor
Author of the high altar in 1650.
Origin and history
The priory of Breuil-Bellay is a former grandmontain priory founded around 1180, located in Cizay-la-Madeleine (Maine-et-Loire). It belongs to the order of Grandmont, known for its austerity and rigorous monastic organization. The church, dated from the 12th–13th century boundary, has a vaulted nave in a full-circle cradle and an apse adorned with dogives. The Conventual building, built in the 1st quarter of the 13th century, includes vaulted rooms and a kitchen probably redesigned in the 14th century. These elements, made of tufa stone, illustrate medieval religious architecture.
In the seventeenth century, the priory underwent major changes: the church and the convent were changed in the first half of the century, while a farm was built during the same period. In 1650, sculptor Pierre Biardeau (1608–171) decorated the high altar of the prioral church. The latter, damaged during the French Revolution, preserves only a statue of St Stephen (called Saint Coqueluchon by the locals), classified as a historical monument in 1964. This piece, sold at auction in Angers in February 2015, remains an emblematic vestige of the site.
The priory is partially classified as a historical monument on October 14, 1963, protecting notably the chapel, the sacristy and an upper hall. The traditional materials — tuft for walls, hollow tiles and slate for roofs — reflect local techniques. The site, redesigned in the 19th century, retains traces of its monastic past, although its current use (visits, rental) is not specified in the sources. Its history is part of that of the Pays de la Loire, marked by the development of religious orders and their role in structuring rural areas.
