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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The priory of the Salles-Lavauguyon, founded between the 12th and 13th centuries, belonged to the order of the Augustins. Its initial architecture, characterized by a rectangular plan on two levels, preserves late Romanesque elements: arches in full hanger, apparent harps and mouldings of tillers. The partially preserved west facade reveals a geminate bay and crows having supported structures that are now extinct. These details, combined with stonework, confirm a medieval construction between the 12th and 13th centuries.

At the end of the Gothic period, the building was raised and pierced with rectangular single-crossed bays, changing its original appearance. Other later transformations include opening of a carriage door and drills in the gable wall. These adaptations reflect a gradual re-use of the building, notably as a presbytery before its sale to an individual during the French Revolution.

The interior houses two monumental chimneys, the only remaining architectural decorative elements. The first room on the first floor preserves fragments of murals from the seventeenth to eighteenth centuries: a crucifixion in grey with an inscription, as well as a geometric and floral polychrome decoration, probably added later. These artistic traces illustrate the evolution of the priory, from an Augustine place of worship to a secular space marked by local history.

Ranked a Historical Monument by order of 29 December 1989, the priory includes in his protection his painted decoration. Today owned by the commune of Les Salles-Lavauguyon (Haute-Vienne), its state of conservation and its openness to the public remain partially documented, although its exact address (3 Place du Marché) and its Insee code (87189) are referenced.

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