Authorization of Louis XI 1467 (≈ 1467)
Start of fortifications for the hotel and home.
3e quart XVe siècle
Initial construction
Initial construction 3e quart XVe siècle (≈ 1562)
Period of building the house and defences.
18 septembre 2006
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 18 septembre 2006 (≈ 2006)
Official registration of the house and plots.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The entire house, as well as the floor of the plots BO 247 to 252: inscription by order of 18 September 2006
Key figures
Louis XI - King of France
Authorized fortifications in 1467.
Abbesses de Sainte-Croix - Religious of Poitiers
Home owners and sponsors.
Origin and history
The Hôtel des abbesses de Sainte-Croix, located in Vasles in the Deux-Sèvres, is a monument of the 3rd quarter of the 15th century. In 1467 Louis XI authorized the construction of fortifications for the hotel and the house of the abbesses of Sainte-Croix de Poitiers, including walls, towers, ditches and drawbridge. The ensemble consisted of a building body destroyed in the 20th century, a house flanked by a square tower, a parish church and a Sainte-Marthe chapel, all protected by defensive arrangements.
Today, only the house of the ladies of Vasles remains and part of their farmhouse, in the shape of L. Inside, there are three 15th-century fireplaces, a screw staircase, a vaulted cellar, an ancient structure and period huissiers. The materials used include granite (grinds), flint (chailz) and local stones (jovenetières). The building has been listed as historic monuments since September 18, 2006, covering the entire house and the soil of adjacent parcels.
The site reflects the importance of the abbesses of Sainte-Croix, linked to the Abbey of Poitiers, and their need for protection in a medieval context marked by conflicts. The current remains illustrate both the civil and religious architecture of the time, as well as local construction techniques. The exact address, 5 rue du Soufflet, allows to locate this heritage in the village of Vasles, in New Aquitaine.
