Templar Hospitaller Heritage

The mythicals Knights Templar and Hospitallers have left their mark on our region and this heritage deserves to be rediscovered. These are the traces of commanderies, built on land donated by the great lords of the region: the Comborn, the Ventadour, the Turenne or the Hautefort.

The region's tourist offices offer promotion of the Templar and hospital heritage through a network of around twenty sites. Each of them offer visits to churches, commanderies, sacred fountains, barns, remarkable crosses and various remains. Discover them as you travel along the Vézère valley.

Exclusive: don't miss out Patricia Darré's conference which she will host on Friday, November 8, 2024 at the CGR in Brive, at 18 p.m.

Church of Courteix which belonged to the Templars

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Courteix

12th century church belonging to the Templars. Numerous symbolic lapidary traces, crosses
remarkable, burial slab. Open every day.
Contemporary statue of Huges de Payens.

Ω Follow the adventures of these orders in podcast: Courteix Episode!

Church of Bellechassagne having belonged to the Templars

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Bellechassagne

12th century church belonging to the Templars. Numerous symbolic lapidary traces (church and
village), remarkable crosses. Open every day.

Ω Follow the adventures of these orders in podcast: Bellechassagne Episode!

Church of Féniers which belonged to the Templars

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Feniers

13th century church belonging to the Hospitallers. Free visit on opening days.
Sacred fountain: free access

Ω Follow the adventures of these orders in podcast: Féniers Episode!

Church of Chavagnac having belonged to the Hosîtaliers

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Chavanac

13th century church belonging to the Hospitallers, numerous symbolic stone traces, statues
remarkable, burial slab. Open on Saturdays during the day.
Traces in the village of the commanders' houses.

Ω Follow the adventures of these orders in podcast: Chavanac Episode!

heritage photo of the Templars of St Merd Les Oussines

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Saint-Merd Les Oussines

Parish church, remarkable medieval tomb, open every day.
Outdoor fire: free access
Church of Fournol of the Canons of the Holy Sepulcher then Hospitaller, numerous lapidary traces
symbolic, remarkable crosses, burial slab. open every day.
Sacred fountain: free access.

Ω Follow the adventures of these orders in podcast: Episode Saint Merd les Oussines!

Church which belonged to the Hospitallers in Lestards

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Lestards

12th century church belonging to the Order of the Antonines and then the Hospitallers. Many traces
symbolic lapidaries, burial slab, remarkable crosses, thatched roof unique in France.
Open every day.

Ω Follow the adventures of these orders in podcast: Lestards Episode!

Remains of the priory of St Sepulcher in Sudue la Vinadière

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Sudden Lavinadière

Remains of the priory of the Holy Sepulcher then of the Hospitallers. Free access.
Church Historical Monument, frescoes, numerous symbolic stone marks, burial slab,
remarkable crosses. Open Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Information: 05 55 98 07 53
Archaeological pieces, Treignac media library.

Ω Follow the adventures of these orders in podcast: Suddenly Lavinadière Episode!

Lapidary deposits from local commanderies at the Labenche museum in Brive

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Labenche

Lapidary deposits from local commanderies. Open everyday save Monday.

Ω Follow the adventures of these orders in podcast: Episode Labenche Museum in Brive-la-Gaillarde!

Chapel of the Templars and Hospitallers in Varetz

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Varetz

Sacred fountain St Rémy, free access.
Chapel of the Templars and Hospitallers: information at the town hall 05 55 85 06 19

Commandery of the Templars: visits possible occasionally.

Ω Follow the adventures of these orders in podcast: Varetz Episode!

Sacred St-Maurice fountain in St-Robert

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Saint-Robert

Sacred St Maurice fountain, free access.

Ω Follow the adventures of these orders in podcast: Saint-Robert Episode!

Tithe barn in La Cassagne

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The Cassagne

Tithe barn from the 13th century, supposedly Templar. Private site open to visitors from July 15 to August 31.
Prices 10€. Parking indicated.
Contact: o.choppin.de.janvry@orange.fr

Ω Follow the adventures of these orders in podcast: Episode La Cassagne!

Commanderie St-Jean de Jerusalem in Condat sur Vézère

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Condat-sur-Vezere

Commandery of Saint John of Jerusalem. Contact and information: Commanderie de association
Condat Confluence Hospitalière

Ω Follow the adventures of these orders in podcast : Condat-sur-Vézère episode!

 Medieval festival Sunday August 25 all day

Θ Guided tours and conferences:

  • Events

Renseignements: https://commanderiecondat.fr

Church belonging to the poplars

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Laguyon Temple

13th century church belonging to the Templars, modified in the 18th century (fresco and main altar)
Church open Thursdays during town hall opening hours. Information at the town hall.

Ω Follow the adventures of these orders in podcast: Temple Laguyon Episode!

XNUMXth century church, supposedly Templar in Ajat.

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Times

12th century church, supposedly Templar. Open every day.
Remains of the cloister and necropolis. Medieval traces in the village. Free access.
14th century castle, open to visitors in August. Information at the town hall.

Ω Follow the adventures of these orders in podcast: Ajat Episode!

Water temple in CHerveix-Cubas

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Water Temple (Cherveix-Cubas)

Originally a Templar site, certainly linked to the Temple-le-Sec (today Temple Laguyon), these two members depended on the Andrivaux commandery. Passed to the Hospitallers at the beginning of the 14th century, the site was attached to the mother house of Condat-sur-Vézère. The current construction was carried out on the foundations of the former Templar installations. Remodeled at various times, the house consists of a central main building with a large stone staircase, square in plan. In the dining room there is a pebble floor decoratively arranged in the shape of a star. The altar stone from the old Saint-Blaise chapel is reused as a lintel where we can still see a beautiful cross pattée.

Private site, exceptional visits by reservation.

Ω Follow the adventures of these orders in podcast: Episode Temple of Water!

Church of Sergeac

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Sergeac

Close to the Vézère, the church of Sergeac is a discreet treasure, faithful to the first plans of the Templars. There are beautiful engraved stones hidden there, particularly in the choir, the oldest part dating back to the 12th century. Then it was the Hospitallers of Saint John of Jerusalem, who came to settle there and who, unfortunately, had to suffer great losses during the Hundred Years' War and then the wars of religion. In the heart of the village stands the fortified house of the noble family of Cramirac, several members of which were Templars or Hospitallers.

Church open every day.

Ω Follow the adventures of these orders in podcast: Sergeac Episode!

Detail of Commarque Castle

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Commarque

This castle, saved from ruin since the 70s by the Commarque family, is an enchanting site, with incredible remains. Its dizzying dungeon, its mysterious chapel, its medieval streets, its troglodyte spaces are a real invitation to go back in time.

It was at the time when Gérard de Commarque enlisted as a knight that the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem entered the history of the castle by erecting the keep and its fortifications.

Commarque is a living place through the various mediations and activities offered to visitors throughout the year and providing each of them with the keys to a magical place.

Open from March to October, opening hours commarque.com

Ω Follow the adventures of these orders in podcast: Commarque Episode!

Heritage of the Templars and Hospitallers in Curemonte.

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Curemonte

The Chapel of La Combe in Curemonte was magnificently restored in the 2000s. It was the property of the Order of Malta with the particularity of having been occupied by the ladies of this Order, “Les Maltaises”, participating in their own way in the needs of the Order for logistical support in the Mediterranean.

Who were the Templars and Hospitallers?


Two innovative religious orders were created in the XNUMXth century in Jerusalem to welcome, treat (hospitals) et protect the pilgrims (the templars).

Their birth accompanied the revival of pilgrimages after the liberation of the city in 1099.

What heritage is this? 

Life and settlement in the new Latin States of the East (fortified castles, protection of holy places, maintenance of men-at-arms) were expensive.

The orders will be organized with rear bases, “rental farms”, today called “commanderies” spread across the entire European continent, they provide logistical and financial support for the Orient. These commanderies have outbuildings several kilometers around, which multiplies the land holdings and buildings of both orders, reinforcing local roots,
close to the populations. These lands were gifts from local lords, a reflection of the power of baronies or viscounties such as Hautefort, Ventadour, Turenne or Comborn.

What remains of the heritage?

Not all commanderies have survived the perils of time. Despite everything, many very diverse traces dot our countryside and tell this whole story. Thanks to the effort of communities, enthusiasts and with the support of tourist offices along the Vézère, rediscover today the richness of this heritage through the places where these mythical people lived
knights. 

Knight Templar squire

A program of exceptional visits

We offer 2 dates for visiting the Commandery of Mons in Varetz (occupied by the Templars from the 12th to the beginning of the 14th century then by the Knights Hospitaller of the Order of Malta until the Revolution):

  • Friday, November 22 at 10:30 p.m.
  • Friday December 6, XNUMX at 10:30 p.m.

Single price : 12 €. 

On reservation only

More

Ω A dedicated podcast!

The discovery of Templar and Hospitaller heritage of the Vézère valley is also accessible by podcast-broadcast ( in podcast so for English speakers!).

Enriched readings and audio, accessible directly on this page. You have undoubtedly seen in the interactive map windows above, links to listen to an audio commentary at each stage of your journey! In this paragraph we offer you the introductory episode which will enlighten you on the global context which sees its two orders of priest/soldiers slipping into our territories, our stories and our imaginations!