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Origin and history

The Priory of Aubeterre is a pre-demonstrated priory founded around the middle of the 12th century, according to local tradition, by Gilbert de Neuffonts (saint Gilbert, patron of Bourbonnais). It was conceived as a feminine pendant of Saint-Gilbert Abbey in Neuffonts. His wife Péronnelle (or Pétronille) became his first prioress, followed by their daughter Porcie. Both were buried in the chapel and venerated as saints, attracting pilgrims, especially sterile women, who came to invoke their protection under the arches of the Holy Crenne, an adjacent building.

The chapel, dedicated to Saint Pétronille, is the only remaining vestige of the priory. In a Romanesque style, it consists of a unique nave, completed by an apse vaulted in a cradle. Its walls preserve murals from the beginning of the thirteenth century, illustrating scenes of the life of Christ and of Saints Marguerite, Barbe and Catherine. These frescoes, as well as the sober architecture (Romanesque cornice, windows in full hanger), testify to the artistic and spiritual importance of the site.

At the Revolution, the priory was sold as a national good in 1791, and the chapel was transformed into a barn, ending the pilgrimage. The convent buildings gradually disappeared, and agricultural additions were joined to the chapel between 1839 and 1927, notably modifying its western gate. Partially classified as historical monuments in 1977, the chapel remains a rare testimony of medieval monastic life in Bourbonnais, linked to the order of the Premonstrates and to local devotion.

Historical sources mention possible confusion with other priories or abbeys, such as that of Aubepierre reported in 1720 by the Gallia Christana. However, the Priory of Aubeterre was clearly associated with St Gilbert of Neuffonts, who died in 1152 on the return of the second crusade, and with his family. The site, now privately owned, retains a major heritage value, both for its architecture and for its religious and social history.

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