Abbey of Saint-Amant-de-Boixe

According to tradition, a community eventually gathered at the site, though this settlement is believed to have been destroyed during the Norman raids of the second half of the 9th century. By the year 888, the house had been reestablished and was under the direct control of the counts of Angoulême, who held it as their property. A century later, in 988, Count Arnaud Manzer († c. 998) restored the monastery, introduced the Rule of Saint Benedict, and entrusted it to Abbot Francon, the first of whom there is evidence. At the same time, he endowed the monastery with property.

The Abbey of Saint-Géraud d’Aurillac (Cantal) laid claim to rights over Saint-Amant, probably acquired during its restoration at the end of the 10th century. In 1197, a ruling upheld its claims, and from that point onward, abbots of Saint-Amant required approval and recognition from Aurillac for their appointment. This dependency remained in place until 1325. In the 13th century, a fire severely damaged the monastic complex, and not long after, the effects of the Hundred Years’ War further worsened its economic situation.

The most prominent surviving element of the monastic complex is the church, which lost most of its Romanesque apse in the 13th-century fire, at which point a new Gothic choir was built. The structure remains largely Romanesque, with three naves, six bays, a transept, and a rebuilt apse. On the exterior, the crossing still features sculpted elements from the early period (c. 1125), while the main façade dates from the end of the same century. Part of the cloister is also preserved, along with other restored buildings.