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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Priory of Costejean, located in Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val, finds its origins in the 13th century as a simple bastide placed under the supervision of the Cistercian Abbey of Leyme (Lot). In 1286 Elisabeth de Vallat requested permission to establish a convent on this site, a confirmation obtained in 1292. From this period the square tower, exterior walls with vestiges of archères and latrines, as well as a classical quadrangular plan where the buildings surround a central courtyard remain. The tower, looming in the 16th century, houses a spiral staircase serving three floors.

During the Wars of Religion, the priory was partially destroyed in 1562 by Protestants. The reconstruction took place in 1621, with the religious being resettled in 1662. Conventual buildings, including a vaulted chapel, house, barn and garden, are then erected. The parlor, decorated with murals (late 17th–early 18th century) depicting angels, birds and blue floral motifs, bears witness to this period. The site, sold as a national property in 1791, was abandoned in the 19th century, before being completed by a hangar and a house on both sides of the tower.

Ranked as a Historic Monument in 1988, the priory today protects its facades, roofs, the courtyard gate, the ancient parlor with its paintings, and the staircase of the left wing. These elements illustrate its architectural evolution, marked by destruction, reconstruction and adaptations to the monacal and later lay needs.

The priory is part of the medieval Cistercian network, reflecting the influence of the Abbey of Leyme and the religious tensions of the 16th-17th centuries. Its quadrangular plan, typical of monastic establishments, and its late Baroque decorations make it a hybrid example of religious and rural heritage in Occitanie.

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