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Origin and history

The priory of Sainte-Radegonde de Villevaleix is a former female priory of the order of Saint-Benoît, founded in the 12th century in the village of Villevaleix, in the commune of Sainte-Anne-Saint-Priest (Haute-Vienne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine). Dedicated to Radegonde de Poitiers, he was dependent on the abbey of Bonnesaigne, alongside four other local priories who had disappeared today. In 1271 there were twenty-three nuns, and a 14th century rule required the presence of eighteen nuns. Its church, rectangular with a unique nave, presents a trilobed south portal, an architectural rarity in Limousin for this time.

The history of the priory is marked by close ties with the bishopric of Limoges. As early as 1276, the abbesses of Bonnesaigne had to visit Villevaleix every three years, and in 1455 the priory was still in this abbey, before being definitively united there in 1640. Near the church remains a tombstone with the effigy of an abbess, witness of her monastic past. In the 20th century, the building, used as a barn and then agricultural hangar, saw its roof replaced by metal plate. Partly listed as a historical monument in 1996, it attracts attention for its south gate and broken cradle vault.

The architecture of the church reflects limousine Romanesque features, with a western facade pierced by a broken arched gate with three dots and smooth capitals. Inside, arched arches beat the side walls, while a large double arch separates the nave from the choir. Despite its present state, the site retains remarkable elements, such as the tombstone and carved decorations of the southern gate. The Society for the Protection of Landscapes alerted its future in 1973, highlighting its heritage importance.

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