The Priory of Merlande was founded by the nearby Abbey of Chancelade, belonging to the Augustinian canons. In the year 1140, Geoffroi de Cauzé, Bishop of Périgueux, granted this site to Elie Audoin, Abbot of Chancelade. Around 1143, the church was built, but in 1172 it suffered damage due to an incursion by the English army. In the last quarter of the 16th century, it was once again affected, this time by the ravages of the Wars of Religion.
A small Romanesque church has been preserved, albeit with modifications. After the damage suffered in 1172, one of the original domes was replaced by a vault. The construction began with a rectangular chapel, which now serves as the church’s presbytery. Shortly after, a two-bay nave was added, covered with domes, of which only one remains today. In the 16th century, due to the instability of the period, the church was fortified. Some of the priory's dependencies are still preserved.
The nave. In the background, the chancel
Chancel, primitive chapel
- AUDIERNE, Abbé (1847). Notice historique et descriptive de l'église de Merlandes. Perigús: Dupont
- BESSE, J.-M. (1910). Abbayes et prieurés de l'ancienne France. Vol. 3: Provinces ecclésiastiques d'Auch et de Bordeaux. Abbaye de Ligugé
- GRILLON, Louis (2003). Le prieuré Saint-Jean de Merlande. Bulletin de la Société historique et archéologique du Périgord, vol.130/3
- SECRET, Jean (1968). Périgord roman. La nuit des temps, núm. 27. Zodiaque
The Priory of Merlande is located in a secluded area within the municipality of La Chapelle-Gonaguet, northwest of Périgueux