Adoption of the Augustinian rule 1120 (≈ 1120)
Becoming a priory of black canons
début XIIe siècle
Presumed Foundation
Presumed Foundation début XIIe siècle (≈ 1204)
Under Bishop Girard II of Angoulême
1568
Damage to the Wars of Religion
Damage to the Wars of Religion 1568 (≈ 1568)
Archives destroyed, buildings damaged
1652
Link to the Congregation of France
Link to the Congregation of France 1652 (≈ 1652)
Loss of administrative independence
1789-1793
Revolutionary suppression
Revolutionary suppression 1789-1793 (≈ 1791)
Sale as a national property (48,000 pounds)
1904
Facade collapse
Facade collapse 1904 (≈ 1904)
Reconstruction in 1910-1912
1942
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 1942 (≈ 1942)
Protected church, cloister and capitular hall
1971-1976
Searches and catering
Searches and catering 1971-1976 (≈ 1974)
Discovered by Marpen Club
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Church of Lanville (Box AH 23): Order of 3 February 1942; The remains of the capitular hall and the cloister of the priory, attached to the church of Lanville (see AH 23): classification by order of 28 May 1942; Fronts and roofs of the house body located at the back of the courtyard, as well as of the north and south wings; vaulted cellars located under the house body and under the north wing; Perron is in front of the house; West terrace; stair bridge west of the house; basins to the west of the house (cad. AH 24, 156): entry by order of 13 June 1991
Key figures
Girard II - Bishop of Angoulême
Probable founder in the 12th century
Club archéologique Marpen - Safeguard association
Search and catering (1971-1976)
Origin and history
The Priory of Notre-Dame de Lanville, located in Marcillac-Lanville, Charente, was probably founded in the early 12th century under the authority of the Bishop of Angoulême, Girard II. Around 1120 he adopted the rule of Saint Augustine's regular Chanoines, known as "black canons". This Conventual Prioress retained his independence until 1652, when he was attached to the Congregation of France, dependent on the Sainte-Geneviève Abbey in Paris. The wars of Religion, especially in 1568, severely damaged the buildings and destroyed part of the archives, although the priory later recovered his property.
The French Revolution marked the end of the priory: the decree of 1789 on the property of the clergy, followed by the decree of 1790 abolishing religious orders, led to its dissolution. In 1793, buildings and land were sold as national property for 48,000 pounds. The church then became parish, but its façade collapsed in 1904, resulting in the destruction of a span of the nave. A new, more sober façade was rebuilt in 1910-1912 thanks to local donations. The vaults of the nave, rebuilt in the 15th century, collapsed partially in 1942-1943, requiring further restoration.
The vestiges of the priory, including the cloister, the capitular hall (XVI century), and the prioral lodge (XVII-15III centuries), were protected under the Historic Monuments between 1942 and 1991. The cloister and capitular hall, in ruins, revealed during excavations (1971-1976) a wall painting and a statue of a monk of the seventeenth-XVIII century. The prioral house, organised around a courtyard, preserves medieval elements (XIV-15th centuries) like vaulted cellars. The church, from a plan to a Latin cross, combines Romanesque (clocher, modillons) and Gothic (voûts on a dogive cross), with an apse raised in the sixteenth century.
The restoration of the site was partly carried out by the archaeological club Marpen from 1971, saving the remains of the destruction. The stalls of the choir, restored in 1977, and the newly added modern stained glass windows testify to preservation efforts. Despite the revolutionary destructions and collapses, the priory remains a remarkable example of Augustinian monastic architecture in Angoumois, mixing Romanesque heritage and medieval and classical transformations.
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