Priory of Sainte-Livrade
Prieuré de Sainte-Livrade / S Liberata
(Sainte-Livrade-sur-Lot, Lot-et-Garonne)
The Priory of Sainte-Livrade, located in Sainte-Livrade-sur-Lot, originates from a church dedicated to this saint, who, according to tradition, was native to this region. This church was under the care of a group of clerics who, in 1116, ceded it to the monastery of La Chaise-Dieu (Haute-Loire), which took charge of establishing a conventual priory there.
From that moment, the construction of the current church and the rest of the priory began. However, the Bishop of Agen opposed this donation, but in 1122, Abbot Étienne of La Chaise-Dieu gained the support of Pope Calixtus II, who approved the cession. By the late 16th century, the monastery came under the governance of commendatory priors. Later, it suffered during the Wars of Religion, and in 1655, it was incorporated into the Congregation of Saint-Maur, which maintained custody of the site until its dissolution during the French Revolution.
Today, only the church of the priory remains. It features a main nave, ending in an apse that contains a smaller secondary apse. To the north, there is a shorter second nave, also ending in an apse, which is thought to have been the former chapter house. The apsidal spaces are the only medieval parts of the building that remain. The main nave, built in the 14th century, was replaced by a new structure in the 19th century. As for the priory’s other buildings, no traces remain. Furthermore, it seems that the drawing published in the Monasticon Gallicanum during the Maurist era (1688) does not reflect the actual state of the building but rather an architectural project.
North nave
Monasticon Gallicanum
Bibliothèque nationale de France
- BARRÉRE, Joseph (1855). Histoire religieuse & monumentale du diocèse d'Agen. Agen: Chairou
- BESSE, J.-M. (1910). Abbayes et prieurés de l'ancienne France. Vol. 3: Provinces ecclésiastiques d'Auch et de Bordeaux. Abbaye de Ligugé
- DUBOURG-NOVES, Pierre (1969). Congrès Archéologique de France. 127e session. París: Société Française d’Archéologie
- DUBOURG-NOVES, Pierre (1969). Guyenne romane. La Pierre-qui-Vire: Zodiaque
- PEIGNÉ-DELACOURT, Achille (1877). Monasticon Gallicanum. Paris: G. Chamerot
- TAMIZEY DE LARROQUE, Philippe (1869). Notice sur le prieuré de Sainte-Livrade, d'après un manuscrit inédit de la Bibliothèque impériale. Agen: Noubel
- THOLIN, Georges (1874). Études sur l'architecture religieuse de l'Agenais. Agen: Michel
The priory is located in Sainte-Livrade-sur-Lot, west of Villeneuve-sur-Lot and north of Agen