Laramière - Prieuré Notre-Dame

One of the many "chemins" to Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle passed through La Ramière. So a Commandery was built in the 11th century for growing numbers of pilgrims.

In 1145, the monk Bertrand de Civray (aka Bertrand de Griffeules), founded a priory here, that he, before his death (~1169), handed over to the Augustinian canons of the Notre-Dame de La Couronne abbey near Angoulême. As the old priory was rather small, the canons built a new monastery in the 13th century. The priory was prosperous until the Hundred Years War. In 1347, English troops occupied and looted the site. The English were driven out in 1368 by the order of King Charles V. Between 1381 and 1385, marauding troops commanded by Lord Ratier de Belfort attacked the priory.

The priory was heavily damaged, but the monastic life continued. In 1588 the site was taken by Protestant troops, who are driven out ten years later by the Seneschal of Rouergue, Antoine de Bournazel. At that time, the monastery was ruined, the canons abandoned it shortly after.
Jesuits used the priory from 1661, until their departure in 1762.

In 1793, the priory was sold as a national property. Since then it is private property.