This Templar commandery was founded in 1213 by Dalmace de Celles, who at that time donated a chapel and the surrounding lands to the Order of the Temple. Shortly afterwards he joined the order as a knight and became the first commander of the house. The last Templar commander was Hugues Charnier, until the suppression of the order.
In 1314, the house of Celles passed to the Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, which remained established there until the Revolution. Under the Hospitallers, the commandery maintained its prominence and economic prosperity, although around 1360 it was set on fire in the context of the war that affected the region. Later, it also suffered from the ravages of the Wars of Religion. In 1793, following the Revolution, the site was sold and passed into private hands; the last commander had been François de Peyroux.
The medieval complex is still preserved, including the church, arranged around an inner courtyard. Over the centuries, these buildings were altered several times. Today, the commandery is undergoing restoration.
19th century facade
- BOUFFET, H. (1914-16). Les Templiers et les Hospitaliers de Saint Jean en Haute-Auvergne. Revue de la Haute-Auvergne, vols. 16-18
- MOULIER, Pierre; i altres (2001). Église romanes de Haute-Auvergne, vol. 3 : Saint Flour. Nonette: Créer
The commandery of Celles is located in the commune of Neussargues en Pinatelle, in an isolated area to the northwest of Saint-Flour