Priory of Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu

The monks took with them their most valuable possessions, including the remains of Saint Philibert, along with his marble sarcophagus. They then began the construction of new spaces intended to house the relics, which were venerated there due to the miraculous events attributed to them. Their stay at Déas was, however, short, as Norman attacks also reached this place. After the burning of Noirmoutier in 846, Déas was attacked in 847 and, in 848, the monks were forced to abandon it due to its destruction. In 858, the relics, which had been hidden within the crypt, were recovered.

Following the Revolution, the priory was sold; it later regained religious use as a parish until, in 1870, this function was transferred to a new building and the church was turned into a market. In 1896, the site was recognised and protected as a historic monument and restored in the following years. In 1936, it once again regained its religious function and the former tomb of Saint Philibert was restored. The church of Carolingian origin, dating from the 9th century, survives with later enlargements and modifications; it is characterised by the alternation of stone and brick in its construction. The architectural remains are difficult to interpret due to the many interventions it has undergone. The crypt from the period when it served as a place of veneration for the saint’s relics is also preserved.