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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The priory Saint-Pierre de La Réole found its origins in a Benedictine convent founded around 777 by Charlemagne as "Squirs", destroyed by the Normans in 848. Reconstructed at the end of the 10th century by Bishop Gombaud of Bazas and his brother Guillaume Sanche, Duke of Vasconia, he then adopted the Latin name of Regula (at the origin of the present name of the city) and placed himself under the rule of Saint Benedict. The 977 charter, signed by the two brothers, links the monastery to the abbey of Fleury and sets out its outbuildings (churches, lands, mills). The assassination of Abbé Abbon de Fleury in 1004 by a monk gascon marks a period of trouble for the priory.

In the 12th century, the construction of the Quats Castle by Henry II of England (circa 1186-1194) required the relocation and reconstruction of the Saint Peter's church, shortened by two spans in 1254 after a siege. The transept crosses, added to the 14th and 15th centuries, bear witness to this architectural evolution. The priory, detained by cardinals close to Clement V, received papal indulgences in 1311 to complete the church. The wars of Religion ravaged the site in 1577: Protestants set fire to the monastery, destroying the structure of the nave. Monastic life resumed in 1597 in the Madeleine Hospital, before a major reconstruction.

The reconstruction of the priory stagnant from 1608 to 1764, marked by the adoption of the Maurist reform in 1627. The monks made the nave vaulted in 1685 by Urban architect Théry, then undertook a complete reconstruction from 1704 under the direction of Maurice Murcy (known as Langevin). The long body of houses overlooking the Garonne, completed in 1725, includes an honour staircase and wrought iron grilles signed Blaise Charlut (1717-1792). Despite building defects requiring foothills in 1726, work continued until 1764, with the renewal of liturgical furniture. The Revolution transformed the priory into a national good in 1790; The church, disused, became parish in 1839 after the destruction of the church of Saint Michael.

Today, the priory houses the town hall of La Réole. Ranked a historical monument in 1925 (with complementary protections in 1954 and 1965), it preserves remarkable elements such as the wrought iron ramp staircase, the ellipsoidal vault of the stairwell, and 18th century decorations. The repeated seats (1224-1652) and successive reconstructions reflect its strategic role at the borders of Gascogne and Bordelais, between Franco-English conflicts and the Wars of Religion.

Future

Today, the priory houses the town hall of La Réole as well as the district court.

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