The details of the foundation of the Abbey of Notre-Dame de la Réau are unclear. The first document related to this monastery, which does not mention it directly, is a donation made to a priory dependent on La Réau, dated 1208. In 1219, Pope Honorius III issued a bull placing the house under his protection and confirming its possessions; it also referred to a grant made by Henry II of England (1133–1189), which places the foundation before 1189.
It is likely that the abbey was founded by King Henry II and his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122–1204), possibly in the second half of the 12th century. It soon became a wealthy house, which by 1219 already had several dependent priories. This period of stability lasted until the mid-14th century, when the Hundred Years’ War reached the region. The abbey was fortified, but in 1372 it was occupied, plundered, and set on fire. The site was left in ruins, with a reduced community and scarce resources due to the loss or deterioration of its income sources.
Nevertheless, the Augustinian canons were able to restore or rebuild the monastic quarters and fortifications during the last quarter of the 14th century. In fact, in 1378 they founded the priory of Saint-Germain de Benais (Indre-et-Loire). The last regular abbot died in 1519, after which La Réau came under the control of commendatory abbots. In the mid-16th century, the house came under Calvinist influence but did not directly suffer the effects of the Wars of Religion, aside from the instability and difficulties affecting the whole region.
Location of the cloister with remains of the
facade of the chapter house
A visit to the abbey in 1636 described it as a decaying establishment with a very small community and numerous shortcomings. In 1652, the canonry was reformed and integrated into the Congregation of Sainte-Geneviève, which governed it until its disappearance due to the French Revolution. During this period, restoration work was undertaken on buildings that had fallen into disrepair during the long decline. In 1790 the canonry was suppressed, and the community dissolved. In 1791, its properties were sold; after passing through various hands, the site fell into ruin.
Among the remains of the monastery, the church stands out. Now in ruins, it is still largely preserved. Its unusual orientation is striking, with the apse facing roughly south. The church had a single nave with transept, and the apse has a rectangular plan. The arms of the transept have been lost. Its construction dates from the 12th century. The cloister space also survives, with significant buildings along the east and south sides, medieval in origin but much altered; among them, the chapter house is notable. The complex also retains significant remains of its fortifications.
Illustration from L'abbaye Notre-Dame de la Réau (1938)
Illustration from L'abbaye Notre-Dame de la Réau (1938)
Armorial général de France (s. XVIII)
Bibliothèque nationale de France
- BEAUNIER, Dom (1910). Abbayes et prieurés de l'ancienne France. Vol. 3: Auch, Bordeaux. Abbaye de Ligugé
- BROUILLET, Pierre Amédée (1865). Indicateur archéologique de l'arrondissement de Civrai : depuis l'époque anté-historique jusqu'à nos jours. Civrai: Ferriol
- DU TEMS, Hugues (1774). Le clergé de France, vol. II. París: Delalain
- EYGUN, François (1938). L’abbaye de Notre-Dame de la Réau. O. S. A. Étude historique et archéologique. Mémoires de la Société des antiquaires de l'Ouest. Poitiers: Société Française d’Imprimerie et de Librairie
- SAINT-MAUR, Congregació de (1720). Gallia Christiana in provincias ecclesiasticas distributa. Vol. 2. París: Typographia Regia
The Abbey of La Réau is located in the commune of Saint-Martin-l’Ars, south of Poitiers, on the road to Limoges via Confolens