Commanderie d'Épailly, Medieval commandry in Courban, France
Commanderie d'Épailly is a medieval estate in Courban that includes a stone chapel, vaulted cellars, storage barns, and a dovecote arranged within defensive walls. A tower once reinforced the compound, part of a layout designed to house and protect the community's agricultural operations.
Founded around 1200 by the Knights Templar, this estate received major gifts from Milon, Count of Bar-sur-Seine, beginning in 1210. When the Templars were dissolved, Pope Clement V took the unusual step of granting the property to Othon I of Grandson in 1308 rather than transferring it to the successor order.
The chapel dedicated to Saint George shows how medieval military orders practiced their faith through daily religious life on the estate. Visitors can see how these communities structured their spiritual activities around the agricultural work they performed.
The property remains largely private today, so visits are typically limited to viewing from the exterior. Walking around the outer edges allows you to appreciate the wall layout and building positions that define the original estate plan.
Unlike most Templar properties that passed to the Hospitallers after 1312, this estate took a different path under papal protection for a powerful noble family. The result is a rare case where a medieval agricultural settlement remained in the hands of a single dynasty for centuries rather than changing orders.
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