Monastère des Antonins et moulin de Pondaurat, Monastery and watermill in Pondaurat, France
The Monastère des Antonins et moulin de Pondaurat is a Romanesque monastery and watermill in Pondaurat, in the Gironde department of southwestern France. The stone buildings feature thick walls, small windows, and plain rounded arches, with the mill sitting beside a small stream called the Bassanne.
The complex was built in the 13th century and expanded in the 15th century, serving as a religious farm where monks prayed and worked the land. It received official protection as a listed historic monument in the early 1990s, which stopped further changes to its structure.
The site is located in the village of Pondaurat, and a walk along the Bassanne stream allows you to see both the monastery and the mill from close up. The terrain can be uneven near the water, so sturdy shoes are useful, especially after rain.
The watermill operated for several centuries and supplied flour to the village and the surrounding area before its commercial activity ended when it was listed as a monument. Parts of the original mechanism are still visible today, showing how the flow of the Bassanne was put to work.
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