Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Priory of Merlande, located in La Chapelle-Gonaguet in Dordogne, has its origins in the early twelfth century. A first chapel was built by Elie Audouin, second abbot of Chancelade, today forming the choir of the present church. This choir is characterized by thirteen capitals decorated with animal and plant motifs, typical of Romanesque art. The chapel was then enlarged by the addition of two bays surmounted by domes, reflecting an architectural evolution between the 12th and 16th centuries.

In the 16th century, the priory was completed by a rectangular prioral home, flanked by a circular tower at the southwest corner. This building, perpendicular to the church, testifies to the adaptation of the premises to the residential and defensive needs of the period. A masonry ditch, still visible, once followed the house to the west and south, reinforcing its fortified character. The remains of the monastic buildings, adjacent to the choir, recall the community life that was unfolding there.

The site was classified as a Historic Monument in 1892 for its church and medieval outbuildings, then its estate was registered in 2008, recognizing its heritage importance. The priory is surrounded by a 100 hectare estate, now protected, which includes landscape and architectural elements linked to its monastic history. The source of the Got, a tributary of Isle, is also born on these lands, adding a natural dimension to this place full of history.

The commune of La Chapelle-Gonaguet, where the priory stands, was mentioned for the first time at the end of the 12th century under the name of Capela d'Agonaguet, meaning "Chapelle du Petit Agonac". This territory, marked by an ancient human occupation, merged in 1809 with the Merland part of the former commune of Merlande-et-Andrivaaux, consolidating its historical heritage. The priory, with its neighbouring church Saint-Michel, illustrates the religious and architectural heritage of the central Périgord, between Romanesque and renaissant influences.

External links