Commanderie de Vaour, Templar commandry in Vaour, France
Commanderie de Vaour is a former order house in a small village, built with stone walls reinforced by nine buttresses and surrounded by protective enclosure walls. The structure follows a trapezoidal shape and contains several rooms that once served daily life, prayer, and administrative functions.
This order house was established in 1140 when a local family transferred land to create a religious settlement in the area. Over the following centuries, its influence grew and administrative control extended across a large territory encompassing multiple cantons.
The name Vaour comes from a local family that held power in this region for generations. Walking through the rooms today, you can sense how the community was organized around religious and military discipline.
The building now serves as a venue for theater performances and cultural events hosted by a local association. Check in advance for scheduled performances or events during your visit, as access typically depends on such occasions.
A tower structure on the grounds connects the residential area to a chapel below through an underground passage, showing how prayer and daily life were spatially intertwined. This unusual layout reveals the deep integration of religious practice into everyday activities at such houses.
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