Prieuré des Templiers

Prieuré des Templiers is a fortified compound on the edge of the village of Chanonat, in the Puy-de-Dôme department of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Its popular name points to the Knights Templar, but the site's real history turns out to be far less straightforward than the name suggests.

Templars or Hospitallers — who actually held Chanonat?

The oldest surviving document referring to this site dates from 1250. It mentions the "land of the House of the Hospital of Chanonat," which ties the property firmly to the Knights Hospitaller rather than the Templars. So where does the commonly used name come from?

In the 19th century, the Auvergne historian Ambroise Tardieu attributed the commandery to the Templars, citing the presence of a Templar brother, Francon de Bort, who allegedly signed a charter here in 1264. The trouble is that the sources Tardieu relied on were never precisely identified, and later researchers have been unable to trace them. The claim is directly contradicted by the records of royal bailiff Jean de Trie, who in 1293 explicitly listed the Chanonat property as Hospitaller, part of the Grand Priory of Auvergne.

More recent historical research is blunt on the matter: the Templars almost certainly never held a house here, and the complex belonged to the Hospitallers from the start. The name "Prieuré des Templiers" nonetheless stuck in local usage and on maps, even though it does not match what historians have established.

What survives on site today?

The buildings stand northeast of the village centre, at the corner of Rue Saint-Jean and Rue Sous-les-Murs. The layout centres on an interior courtyard enclosed by structures on all four sides, built in the 15th century. The entrance gate features a distinctive basket-handle arch topped by a machicolation with trilobed lintels. To the right of the gate a chimney flue survives, along with a turret (échauguette) housing a staircase and a square tower. The south-facing front is flanked by two towers linked by a curtain wall, its parapet pierced with arrow loops.

The former commandery buildings are today divided among several private owners, which limits access to the interiors — the site is best appreciated from the outside, while walking the narrow streets of Chanonat's old quarter.

How do you get there?

Chanonat lies a short distance south of Clermont-Ferrand, in the heart of Puy-de-Dôme. The site's coordinates are 45.691804, 3.097255. Travelling by car is the most practical option — the village has no direct rail connection, and reaching it by public transport from Clermont-Ferrand requires switching to a regional bus.

Frequently asked questions

Did Templars really live at Chanonat? According to current historical research, no. Period documents point to the Hospitallers as the sole owners; the Templar attribution rests on an unverified 19th-century claim by Ambroise Tardieu.

How old are the surviving buildings? The buildings around the courtyard date to the 15th century, though the first written mention of a religious-military house at Chanonat goes back to 1250.

Can visitors go inside? The site is now split among several private owners, so visits are limited to viewing the façades and courtyard from outside.

What architectural details are worth looking for? The entrance gate with its machicolation and trilobed lintels, the stair turret, the square tower, and the south front with its twin towers and loophole-pierced curtain wall.