The Priory of Saint-Pierre de La Réole is one of the monastic foundations promoted by Count William Sancho of Gascony (977-996), established in 977 with the involvement of his brother Gombaud, Bishop of Gascony. As in other cases, there is an undocumented tradition that speaks of an earlier foundation, perhaps from the time of Charlemagne, which would suggest that the act of 977 was, in fact, a restoration.
The priory maintained a certain dependency on the Abbey of Fleury (Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire, Loiret). In 1004, the prestigious Abbot Abbo of Fleury was sent to restore order in response to the relaxation of customs at La Réole due to the wealth it had accumulated. During a visit to the priory, he was assassinated in a dispute and is venerated as a martyr. The site suffered the effects of the wars that affected the region, especially a looting by Protestant forces in 1577.
It was abandoned for twenty years, until its recovery began, which did not materialize until 1627, when the house was incorporated into the congregation of Saint-Maur, which was responsible for its reconstruction. Most of the construction took place between 1704 and 1760. The priory remained active until the Revolution in 1791, when the monks were forced to abandon it permanently.
The church, dedicated to Saint Peter, has been preserved. It was built after the near-total destruction of the previous building in 1577 and has undergone subsequent modifications. Also noteworthy is the grand monastic complex from the 18th century, which now serves as the Town Hall of La Réole.
Abbot Abbo de Fleury
Illustration from Histoire de saint Abbon, abbé de Fleury-sur-Loire
et martyr à La Réole
Monasticon Gallicanum
Bibliothèque nationale de France
Illustration from La Guienne historique et monumentale (1842)
Illustration from La Guienne historique et monumentale (1842)
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- LOIRETTE, Gabriel (1941). La Réole. Congrès archéologique de France. CII session. Bordeaux el Bayonne. París: Picard
- MAUPEL, Dom (1901). Histoire du prieuré conventuel de Saint-Pierre De La Réole depuis ses origines jusqu'à la Révolution. Archives historiques du département de la Gironde
- PARDIAC, Jean-Baptiste (1872). Histoire de saint Abbon, abbé de Fleury-sur-Loire et martyr à La Réole en 1004. París: Lecoffre
- PEIGNÉ-DELACOURT, Achille (1877). Monasticon Gallicanum. Paris: G. Chamerot
- SAINT-MAUR, Congregació de (1720). Gallia Christiana in provincias ecclesiasticas distributa. Vol. 2. París: Typographia Regia
- TAILLARD, Christian (1990). Les bâtiments monastiques de La Réole. Congrès archéologique de France. 145e sess.
The Priory of La Réole is located in the town of the same name, southeast of Bordeaux, on the right bank of the Garonne River