Other monasteries of Lot-et-Garonne

Benedictine

The foundation of the abbey of Clairac is attributed to the Frankish king, Pepin the Short (714-768) on the basis of a late copy of a document of the time, but this information is not sufficiently reliable. The first abbot mentioned in the Gallia Christiana is Constantius, in 1068. The monastery church, now a parish church, was built at that time, but has undergone many modifications in the course of its history. The abbey suffered from the effects of the Hundred Years' War and also during the Wars of Religion, when it fell into the hands of the Calvinists. It could not be recovered as a monastery and became a chapter of canons, which in 1604 was handed over to Saint John Lateran.

Cistercians

The Cistercian Abbey of Notre-Dame de Pérignac was founded by Flandrine, widow of Arnaud I de Montpezat, probably around the year 1140, although some Cistercian historians place its foundation in 1151. The monastery of Bonnefont de Comminges (Haute-Garonne), which had been founded a few years earlier by another Flandrine de Montpezat, played a significant role in the establishment of the new abbey. The Montpezat family were the main patrons of the monastery for many years.

Templars

Hospitallers

At the end of the 12th century, Rainfroy I, lord of Montpezat (documented between 1180 and 1195), donated this territory to the Templars, who began the construction of an establishment that would become the seat of a commandery known as Breuil, Brulhes, or Temple-sur-Lot. Additionally, during the second half of the 12th century, the Templars had also established themselves in the city of Agen, where they occupied the chapel of Sainte-Quitterie. Once the construction of the house of Breuil was completed, the commanders of Agen moved there, thus unifying the two houses.

Cluniac

Saint-Maur

According to tradition, the abbey of Saint Gervais et Protais d’Eysses was founded in the time of Charlemagne, later it was lost due to a Norman invasion. The site was recovered, perhaps in the middle of the 11th century, and in 1088, at the time of Abbot Hugh of Cluny (1024-1109), was incorporated into this Benedictine branch and was linked to the abbey of Moissac (Tarn-et-Garonne). In 1626, Eysses was incorporated into the Congregation of Saint-Maur and shortly after, in 1652, it suffered the effects of the Wars of Religion. It was suppressed with the Revolution, when it had a community of only four monks. Shortly later, in 1803, what remained of the abbey was demolished and the site was used as a prison, a function it still maintains today.