Abbatiale de Châtre

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The church of Notre-Dame de l'Assomption in the town of Saint-Brice (16) is the old abbey of Châtres, and today only the church and a small building to the east remain. The project for restoration and valuation of the abbey led the Regional Archaeology Service to prescribe an archaeological diagnosis around the church. This operation directed by Adrien Montigny (INRAP) allowed us to uncover the plan of the abbey. The monastic origin of this place remains uncertain, the hypothesis retained traces back the foundation of the monastery between the 10th and 11th centuries by the Order of Saint-Augustin. Of Romanesque architecture, the abbey underwent transformations during the Hundred Years' War with the construction of a Gothic choir in place of the Roman apse. During the Wars of Religion, the monastery suffered numerous damage. In 1791, all monastic properties were confiscated and the De Jarnac de Garde Epée family bought the abbey as well as the surrounding lands.