Le Prieuré - History of the Prieuré

Le Prieuré down the centuries

Canehuta, the ancient name given to Chenehutte, was situated on the major Roman road from Angers to Poitiers. For this reason, in order to keep watch over the valley, the Gallo-Romans built an oppidum, a sort of retrenched camp housing 4,500 people, on this promontory.

Much later, in the 10 th century, the Benedictine monks of Saint Florent le Vieil founded an establishment on the edge of this plateau dominating the Loire. However, Norman invasions caused the monks to flee and only the priors remained.

Our Priory, originally the house of the Prior, was built in the 12th century on two levels. (This is recalled in two rooms whose windows have original twin lobed semi-circular arches.)

In the 16th century at the instigation of Prior François Leroux de la Roche des Aubiers, the Priory was transformed in Renaissance style. The result was a magnificent double gabled manor house adorned with a hexagonal tower with a spiral staircase. The old private apartments of the Prior still have a huge fireplace richly decorated with symbols and ornaments.

In 1830, the Comte de l'Aubépin, the new owner of Le Prieuré, carried out work to give the house a square tower and thus the appearance of a château.

At the beginning of the 20th century, it was the turn of Comte Raymond de Castellane, a new owner from a noble Provencal family, to start restoration and embellishment work, in particular on the terraces.