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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Abbey of La Guiche, founded in the 13th century (1273-1277) by Jean de Châtillon and his wife Alix, was an abbey of Clarisses located in Chouzy-sur-Cisse (Loir-et-Cher). It knew five centuries of radiation before its canonical suppression in 1787, then its sale as a national good in 1791. Today, only remains have been protected since 1926, including part of the Gothic cloister and a monumental cellar.

The preserved elements include a 27-metre cloister gallery, covered with a broken chestnut frame in a crib, and a vaulted pantry in two dogive naves, with a clay floor. A chapel built in 1810 houses two 14th century gissers (Jean and Guy de Châtillon) and a 17th century polychrome altar front. The scattered stalls of the choir are rare examples of carved mercies.

The abbey illustrates medieval monastic architecture, with primitive Gothic influences. The trilobed columns of the cloister and the octagonal capitals of the pantry bear witness to exceptional craftsmanship. The tombstones and gisters recall the role of the Châtillon, local lords, in the foundation of the place. The property, private since 1929 (Comberousse family), remains partially accessible.

Classified as an additional inventory of Historic Monuments in 1926, the Abbey is a key site for understanding the religious and seigneurial history of the Loire Valley. The remains, though fragmentary, offer a glimpse of monastic life between the 13th and 18th centuries, marked by periods of prosperity and then decline under the Revolution.

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