Commandery of Saint-Antoine-de-la-Lande
La Grande-Lande / Saint-Marc-la-Lande
(Saint-Marc-la-Lande, Deux-Sèvres)
Around the year 1260, the Antonines received a donation of a chapel dedicated to Saint-Blaise located on this site. At that time, the order established a hospital and a commandery, also known as the Grande-Lande, which came under the authority of the Antonine house of Boutiers (Charente).
It is unknown who initiated the construction of the current church, built in the early 16th century, probably during the tenure of Commander François de Tournon (1509–1512). During that period, the site suffered the impact of the Wars of Religion, and in 1562 the church was set on fire. Soon after, the community fell into mismanagement under Commander Louis de Lézignac (from 1563), who squandered the house’s assets for personal gain. In 1633, the commandery adopted the new Antonine reform initiated a few years earlier. Restoration work began shortly thereafter, as the buildings remained heavily damaged by war.
Later, in 1777, the Antonine order and this commandery were integrated into the Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, which took over its management. After the Revolution, the site passed into private hands until it became public property in 1844. Since then, it has been used for various purposes. The 16th-century church still stands, though modified and repaired in later periods. It took on the dedication of Saint-Marc, reflecting the former parish, and continues to serve religious functions. Remains of other buildings from the commandery also survive.
Illustration from La Gâtine historique et monumentale (1876)
- LEDAIN, Bélisaire (1876). La Gâtine historique et monumentale. París: Claye
- ROUSSEAU, Abbé (1865). Courte notice sur l’ordre hospitalier de Saint-Antoine de Viennois. Niort: Favre
The Antonine commandery is located in Saint-Marc-la-Lande, south of Parthenay