LA COMMANDERIE DES ANTONINS ET LA COLLéGIALE

Unforgettable places full of life
La Commanderie des Antonins (depuis le verger)

Description

A site conducive to serenity and discovery

At the foot of the superb Renaissance church you will find the Antonine monastery, the orchard and the garden of medicinal plants.  Four places brimming with history and today full of cultural life in their ability to gather together artists, visitors, volunteers and locals who are attracted by the place itself and the local activities. 

The Church and the Antonine Monastery

The church of St Marc-la-Lande whose construction started at the beginning of the 16th century is the most important example of flamboyant Gothic style in the Deux-Sevres.  It's frontage and south wall are the most noteworthy.  It suffered the horrors of the Religious Wars and the French Revolution.  It's chequered history is full of destruction and re-building.  As the parish church St Marc-la-Lande is a classified historical monument. 

The Antonine Monastery - The history of St Marc-la-Lande is intertwined with the history of the order of Antonine monks who arrived in La Lande around 1260.  At that time there was only a chapel at La Lande and no houses.  The actual parish was at Saint Marc and the actual town was La Lande de Saint Marc.  The powerful and renowned order of St Anthony was a hospital order specialising in the care of people suffering from the terrible medieval sickness of ergot poisoning, commonly known as St Anthony's Fire.  Brought on by eating mouldy rye, ergot poisoning at that time was a very considerable scourge on the population.  The Antonine monks also helped the poor and wayfarers, especially the pilgrims on their way to St James of Compostela. 

The Gardens

The Orchard:  This calm and relaxing space has 107 varieties of apples, 58 of pears, 18 of grapes and 17 of rose bushes.  It was created during the renovations and aims to maintain a large number of species which have become rare.  It is currently looked after by the commune.  

The Garden of Medicinal Plants:  Like the orchard, this is a recent creation.  It's a young collection of local plants known for their medicinal properties but which can also be dangerous.  Traditionally our ancestors harvested them to treat themselves.  Against ergot poisoning, the Antonine monks used a concoction of 14 different plants, some of these are found in this new garden. 

 


Where to find us and what to do near by ?

La Commanderie des Antonins, 79310 Saint-Marc-la-Lande

Tel : 05 49 63 43 31

Site : Go to website

Key


Items Price
Visite libre Free
Visite audio-guidée (disponible en français et en anglais) 5 €

Payment methods

Accepte la Gatinelle

Opening hours

De mai à septembre du mercredi au dimanche 10 h - 18 h, en octobre du jeudi au dimanche 14 h - 18 h


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