Classification of the chapel 1943 (≈ 1943)
Heritage protection
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The portal: by decree of 8 July 1924; The chapel: by decree of 19 November 1943; The remains of the buildings, especially those of the sacristy, the capitular hall, the poterne and the square tower to the southeast (Box C 22): inscription by order of 20 July 1972
Key figures
Raoul du Fou - Abbot of the Priory (15th century)
Sponsor of the flamboyant Gothic portal
Louis XI - King of France (1461–183)
Weapons on the portal
Charlotte de Savoie - Queen of France (wife of Louis XI)
Weapons associated with the portal
Origin and history
The Priory of Notre-Dame d'Availles, located in the place called Availles in Nouaillé-Maupertuis, finds its origins at the beginning of the 12th century, as evidenced by acts of donation. Its name probably derives from the Latin Avalia (mentioned in 1156), evoking its geographical position overlooking the Miosson Valley. Founded by monks of the Abbey of Nouaillé-Maupertuis, located two kilometers away, it was initially attached to the Order of Grandmont, as confirmed by the Grand Gauthier, episcopal cartular of the fourteenth century. The primitive buildings, now partially disappeared, give way to a Romanesque chapel and remains of the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries.
The chapel, the heart of the priory, illustrates a remarkable architectural stratification. His 11th century choir, vaulted in the middle of the hangar, preserves traces of medieval paintings (persons and animal medallions). The nave, rebuilt by the Grandmontans in the 12th century, has a cradle vault and a renovated door in the 15th century, from broken arch to a straight lintel. These transformations reflect the evolution of liturgical and defensive needs, especially after the wars of Religion.
The flamboyant Gothic portal, built in the 15th century under the raoul du Fou abbatiate, is the most emblematic element of the site. With the arms of Louis XI and Charlotte de Savoie, as well as the personal coat of arms of Raoul du Fou (a flower of lilies and two hawks), he symbolizes both royal power and ecclesiastical authority. This portal, adjacent to the chapel, is framed with pinnacle foothills and surmounted by a buttock and a mitre, recalling the dual function of its sponsor. The priory, active until 1602, was then partially reconverted, his chapel dedicated to Saint Blaise welcoming more than an annual mass.
The remains of the abbey buildings, including a sacristy, a capitular hall, a poterne and a square tower, date back to the 13th and 15th centuries. A defence tower and a mobile bridge, added after the Wars of Religion, testify to the military adaptations of the site. Ranked a Historical Monument (Portail in 1924, chapel in 1943), the priory now embodies a religious, architectural and historical heritage, marked by almost six centuries of evolution.
