Abbey of Saint-Amand-de-Coly
Abbaye Saint-Amand-de-Coly / S. Amand de Genouillac
(Saint-Amand-de-Coly, Dordogne)
The Augustinian canonry of Saint-Amand-de-Coly is one of the three monasteries that, according to tradition, were founded by the monks Sour, Amand, and Cyprien, who had abandoned communal life to devote themselves to eremitism. The first established the monastery of Terrasson, the second founded Saint-Amand-de-Coly, and the third founded Saint-Cyprien, all three located in the Dordogne. According to the account, Amand is said to have died at the end of the 6th century. There are no records of that first establishment, but it is believed to have been destroyed by the Normans in the year 857.
It is possible that the monastery was restored during the first half of the 10th century under the initiative of the Abbey of Cluny, and it is certain that it already existed by the year 1048. In that year, the monastery appears in the mortuary roll of Abbot Oliba, who died in Saint-Michel de Cuxa in 1046. Probably, by the end of the 11th century, Saint-Amand adopted the Rule of Saint Augustine and became a canonry. In 1125, another document mentions its abbot, Guillaume, who is considered the builder of the church that still stands today. During the 13th and 14th centuries, the monastery experienced a long period of prosperity, with up to nineteen priories under its authority. In 1280, records indicate that the community consisted of around twenty members.
During the turmoil of the Hundred Years' War, the monastery was fortified. Despite these protective measures, it suffered severe damage, and by the mid-15th century, it was in a state of great disrepair: the cloister had been lost, and only one monk remained. In the 16th century, restoration efforts began, with the participation of local nobility. However, the introduction of the commendatory system did not favor its recovery and had a negative impact on discipline within the community. Later in the century, it also suffered from the effects of the Wars of Religion, when it was militarily occupied by the Huguenots. It was subsequently restored, but by 1789, at the onset of the French Revolution, the abbey was in full decline. The church was converted into a parish church, and its assets were sold. Since the 19th century, it has undergone successive restorations.
Of the original abbey, only the church and the surrounding walls remain, as the rest of the monastic buildings have almost completely disappeared. The church stands out for its impressive proportions and the solidity of its western façade, which features an upper-level chamber. It is a single-nave building, elongated in structure and of considerable height. Inside, the floor follows a gentle upward slope leading to the presbytery, which ends in a square-shaped apse. The church also features a transept with two polygonal apses.
South transept
Side apse
Illustration from Archives de la Commission des
monuments historiques (1898-1903)
Institut National d’Histoire de l’Art
Illustration from Archives de la Commission des
monuments historiques (1898-1903)
Institut National d’Histoire de l’Art
Illustration from Archives de la Commission des
monuments historiques (1898-1903)
Institut National d’Histoire de l’Art
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- MAUBOURGUET, Jean (1926). Le Périgord méridional, des origines à l'an 1370 : étude d'histoire politique et religieuse. Cahors: Coueslant
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- SALET, Francis (1982). L’église de Saint-Amand-de-Coly. Congrès archéologique de France. 137e session. Périgord Noir. París, Société Française d'Archéologie
- SECRET, Jean (1968). Périgord roman. La nuit des temps, núm. 27. Zodiaque
Saint-Amand-de-Coly is located away from major communication routes, to the east of Périgueux and to the west of Brive-la-Gaillarde (Corrèze)
