The Priory of Saint-Léger de Cognac was founded in 1016 by the local lords, Itier and Arnaud de Villebois, on land granted by their uncle Arnaud de Villebois (or de Vitabre), bishop of Périgueux between 1014 and 1037. In 1031, this same bishop consecrated the priory church, and it was likely at that time that the Benedictine community arrived from the Abbey of Saint-Léger d’Ébreuil (Allier), on which the priory depended.
During the 11th and 12th centuries, the establishment experienced notable growth thanks to the support and donations of various benefactors. In the following years, the church underwent structural changes. In 1357, repair work was carried out, probably due to damage caused by the Hundred Years’ War. In the second half of the 16th century, the town of Cognac became home to a significant Protestant community, which had a negative impact on the priory and its monastic life, already in deep decline.
To reverse the situation, a new community arrived in 1623, also Benedictine but female, founding the Priory of Notre-Dame de Grâce, heir to the property of the former monks. This marked the beginning of a period of reconstruction of the monastic buildings, which remained active until the Revolution. In the 19th century, with no remaining community, the church was restored and rebuilt, and converted into a parish church. It retains a remarkable decorated portal from its earliest period. As for the former priory buildings, they passed into private hands and were used for various purposes, until the late 20th century, when they were acquired by the municipality, restored, and converted into a library.
Illustration from Statistique monumentale de la Charente (1844)
- COTTINEAU, Laurent-Henri (1936). Répertoire topo-bibliographique des abbayes et prieurés. Vol. 1. Mâcon: Protat
- MARTIN-CIVAT, Pierre (1925). La paroisse Notre-Dame et le culte de la Vierge à Cognac sous l'ancien régime. Bulletin et mémoires de la Société archéologique et historique de la Charente. Angulema
- MARTIN-CIVAT, Pierre (1935). Saint-Léger de Cognac. Église collégiale. Bulletin et mémoires de la Société archéologique et historique de la Charente, any 1934. Angulema
- MARVAUD, François (1870). Études historiques sur la ville de Cognac et l'arrondissement. Vols. 1 i 2. Poitiers: Mansuy
- MICHON, Jean Hippolyte (1844). Statistique monumentale de la Charente. París: Derache
The church of Saint-Léger de Cognac is located in the historic centre of the town of Cognac (Charente), between Angoulême and Saintes