Abbey of Saint-Pierre de Cellefrouin
Canonry of Cellefrouin / Saint-Nicolas de Cellefrouin / Cella Fruini
(Cellefrouin, Charente)
This canonry was founded between 1012 and 1037 —possibly around 1025— by Arnaud de Vitabre, a member of the Taillefer family and bishop of Périgueux, with the involvement of a local figure named Fruinus, from whom the name Cellefrouin likely derives. In its early period, the house received protection from the Taillefer family, counts of Angoulême until the mid-13th century.
At some unknown date, around 1096, Jordan V of Chabanais and his wife Amélie donated Cellefrouin to the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Sauveur de Charroux (Vienne), a gift confirmed in 1101 by Pope Paschal II. However, this dependency was short-lived: between 1110 and 1120, Cellefrouin had already become independent. From that point on, it is known as an Augustinian canonry. Until then, it was simply referred to as a monastery or house of canons, and there is no evidence that it followed the Rule of Saint Benedict while under Charroux.
Although modest in scale, the canonry eventually amassed a considerable patrimony, with several properties and dependent churches. The canonical church also served as a parish church, under the patronage of Saint-Nicolas. Like other establishments in the region, it suffered during the Hundred Years’ War and especially during the Wars of Religion in the 16th century, which left it in ruins. Abbey was never fully rebuilt, though it survived into the late 18th century with only minimal activity.
The church is the only visible element of this canonry. Despite the damage and alterations, it has suffered over time, it still preserves its Romanesque structure: a building with three naves divided into four bays, a wide transept —barely projecting— and a chevet consisting of a central apse and two lateral ones, opening onto the arms of the crossing.
Photo by GFreihalter, on Wikimedia
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Cellefrouin lies northeast of Angoulême, slightly off the road linking that city to Limoges