Commanderie de Lavaufranche

Commanderie de Lavaufranche is a medieval commandry in this small French village, built with stone and featuring characteristic medieval structures. The complex links a square tower, a rectangular chapel, and a wing that served as living and working quarters for the commanders and chaplains.

Founded around 1180, the commandry housed the Hospitallers, a military religious order who aided pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land. The site remained an active religious center until the French Revolution, when it lost its original purpose.

The chapel displays wall paintings from the late 13th or early 14th century, showing religious art created during that period in the Creuse region. These frescoes reveal how believers and monastic communities expressed their faith through visual imagery.

The site opens to visitors during Heritage Days, offering a good opportunity to explore the medieval architecture and artworks in person. Plan your visit for these open days and wear comfortable footwear, as the grounds can be uneven and the terrain may be damp.

After the French Revolution, the building was transformed into a farm in 1793, with the chapel serving as a barn for a time. The elaborate wall paintings were not rediscovered until the 1950s, when restoration work revealed them beneath layers of agricultural use.