Commanderie de Sallebruneau, Commandery ruins in Frontenac, France

The Commanderie de Sallebruneau is a ruined commandery with two connected structures: a church featuring a single nave in the south and a fortified castle with a square tower in the north. The layout reflects both the religious and defensive purposes the site once served.

Founded in 1214 by the Knights Templar, when only a church stood here, the commandery passed to the Hospitallers of Saint John by a charter of 1297: commander Jean de Greilly, lord of Benauges and Castillon, had pledged the gift in 1280 and gave the jurisdiction to his friend Guillaume de Villaret, then grand master. In 1477 the district was attached to Bordeaux to shield it from the lords of Rauzan, and the castle was ruined in the Wars of Religion.

The garden behind the building was recreated as a medieval collection of aromatic and medicinal plants, with more than fifty recorded species. Each plant is labelled with its common, official and popular name; the popular name often describes its use. Among the species are Artemisia absinthium, Salvia officinalis and Hypericum perforatum.

Exterior access is free and unrestricted, but the interior remains closed due to the fragile condition of the ruins and safety concerns. Wear sturdy footwear and watch your step on uneven ground around the structures.

The square tower at the north-west corner has two storeys pierced by cross-shaped arrow slits, and its vaulted ground-floor room was most likely used as a gaol. The church beside it kept a single rectangular nave, and in the 19th century it served as the parish church.