Convent of the Dominicans in Le Puy-en-Velay
Preachers of Le Puy / S Laurentii / Saint-Laurent
(Le Puy-en-Velay, Haute-Loire)
The Order of Preachers settled in Le Puy-en-Velay in 1221, when they were granted the church of Saint-Laurent together with its adjoining hospital. The Dominicans enjoyed the patronage of the Polignac family, who in the 14th century supported the renovation of the church, which then became the burial place of several notable figures, especially members of that family.
The convent also housed a cenotaph containing some remains of Bertrand du Guesclin (1320–1380), which is still preserved. The building underwent repairs in the 16th and 17th centuries, and further works carried out in the 18th century altered its structure. Recent restorations have restored the appearance it would have had in the 14th century. The 14th-century chapter house also survives, together with a polygonal chapel built in the following century.
Presbytery arcosolium
Cenotaph of Bertrand du Guesclin (1320-1380)
Primitive cenotaph of Bertrand du Guesclin
- BIZRI, Mélinda; BOURGUIGNON, Claire (2018). Espaces religieux et espaces urbains au Puy-en-Velay. Les villes au Moyen Âge en Europe occidentale. Mémoire et Territoire
- BOURGUIGNON, Claire (2019). Architecture et décor des couvents mendiants dans le Massif central. Monastères et couvents de montagne. París: Comité des travaux historiques et scientifiques
- CARBONELL-LAMOTHE, Yvette (1976). Les églises des ordres mendiants dans la ville du Puy. Congrès archéologique de France, 188 ss. Velay. Société française d'archéologie
- CHERVALIER, Jean (1977). Le mausolée de Du Guesclin au Puy. Cahiers de la Haute-Loire. Le Puy-en-Velay
- ROHAULT DE FLEURY, Georges (1903). Gallia Dominicana. Les couvents de St. Dominique au Moyen Âge. Vol. 2. París
The church of Saint-Laurent is located to the northwest of the historic centre of Le Puy-en-Velay