Château La Commanderie in Plaigne is one of the rare Cathar castles still inhabited. La Commanderie was built in the 12th century by Guillaume de Plaigne, a Cathar Lord, who took an active role in the massacre of Avignonet and afterwards joined the besieged stronghold as a member of the garrison, along with his brother, at the famous siege of Montségur.
In the 16th century, Barthelemy de Plaigne extended the château. It was sold the Knights of Malta (The Knights Hospitaller) in the 17th century. In the 19th century, the chateau belonged to Mr de Nicol, who modernised the building, and it remained in this family for a century, the last descent being Vilolette de Ferluc.
Today, the imposing castle retains its original spirit of an ancient medieval castle, but modernised to create a family home. It has been beautifully decorated by the current artist-owner and her family, creating a grand but comfortable setting for a holiday, family or company event.
References:Saint-Georges de Boscherville Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey. It was founded in about 1113 by Guillaume de Tancarville on the site of an earlier establishment of secular canons and settled by monks from the Abbey of Saint-Evroul. The abbey church made of Caumont stone was erected from 1113 to 1140. The Norman builders aimed to have very well-lit naves and they did this by means of tall, large windows, initially made possible by a wooden ceiling, which prevented uplift, although this was replaced by a Gothic vault in the 13th century. The chapter room was built after the abbey church and dates from the last quarter of the 12th century.
The arrival of the Maurist monks in 1659, after the disasters of the Wars of Religion, helped to get the abbey back on a firmer spiritual, architectural and economic footing. They erected a large monastic building one wing of which fitted tightly around the chapter house (which was otherwise left as it was).