Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The priory of Saint-Martin de Lancé, mentioned in 1124, depended on the abbey of Marmoutier, one of the most influential in the region. This Benedictine priory played a central role in the local religious and economic life, as evidenced by his numerous estates and his own jurisdiction. In 1580 he hosted an assembly of delegates of the great Benedictine abbeys of France, stressing its importance in the national monastic network.

In the 18th century, the priory still included a chapel, a prioral house with outbuildings, a dovecote and a garden, but most of these buildings have now disappeared. Only the former refectory of the monks remains, characteristic with its dogid vaults and its sixteen foothills. Above this room was once the dormitory of monks, illustrating the typical spatial organization of medieval priories.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 1969 for its vaulted hall, the priory is today a private property. Its refectory, the only significant vestige, recalls the religious architecture of the 12th and 15th centuries, as well as the spiritual and administrative influence of this place, linked to the order of Saint Benedict and the mother abbey of Marmoutier.

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