Abbey of Saint-Sour de Terrasson
Abbaye de Terrasson / S Sori Terracinensis / Terrasso
(Terrasson-Lavilledieu, Dordogne)
The Benedictine abbey of Saint-Sour de Terrasson 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 dedicate themselves to eremitism. Sour founded the monastery of Terrasson, Amand established Saint-Amand-de-Coly, and Cyprien founded Saint-Cyprien, all three located in Dordogne.
According to his life story, Sour (501-580) arrived in Terrasson around 525 and settled in a cave as a hermit. His reputation for holiness attracted several followers, among them King Guntram (c. 532-c. 592), who is said to have commissioned him to build a monastery and a hospital for pilgrims. Upon Sour’s death, having become the leader of an emerging monastery, the site was placed under the direction of Aredius (Yrieix, † 591), founder of the Abbey of Atane (Haute-Vienne).
The monastery of Saint-Sour of Terrasson depended on Atane until the year 620 and appears to have remained active until its destruction by the Normans in 848. It was restored by Sébalde, Bishop of Périgueux, in the late 9th or early 10th century. At that time, it received the protection of the Counts of Périgord until, in 940, Bernard of Périgord ceded it to the Abbey of Saint-Martin de Tulle (Corrèze). At the beginning of the 12th century, it passed into the hands of the Abbey of Saint-Martial de Limoges (Haute-Vienne), which at that time was part of the Cluniac sphere.
During this period, the monastery was rebuilt, replacing the structures erected in the 10th century. By the late 14th century, during the Hundred Years’ War, the Abbey of Terrasson suffered a devastating attack that left it almost completely destroyed, also affecting the village that had grown around it. In the late 15th century, under the leadership of Abbot Bertrand de Roffignac, reconstruction efforts were undertaken, but in 1569, the Wars of Religion inflicted further severe damage.
Subsequently, the church was partially restored; the chancel was covered, but the nave remained exposed to the elements. Despite these difficulties, the monastery continued to exist. In the mid-17th century, reforms were implemented to enhance monastic discipline. In 1768, the abbey came under the authority of the Bishop of Sarlat, and the small remaining community was dissolved, although some monks remained there until the French Revolution. The church was later restored.
Reliquary of Saint Sour
Saint Sour, hermit
Illustration from La vie de Saint Sour,
ermite et premier abbé de Terrasson
Photo by Père Igor, on Wikimedia
The church before reconstruction
Illustration from La vie de Saint Sour,
ermite et premier abbé de Terrasson
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- SAINT-MAUR, Congregació de (1720). Gallia Christiana in provincias ecclesiasticas distributa. Vol. 2. París: Typographia Regia
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The present church is located in the municipality of Terrasson-Lavilledieu, east of Périgueux, in the direction of Brive-la-Gaillarde