St Amand de Coly

St Amand de Coly in the Dordogne, France is a well-fortified yet austere church originally built in the 12th century and completed in the 13th.

St Amand de Coly history

Located in a village by the same name, St Amand de Coly is a Romanesque style church which is heavily defended by ramparts and high towers. It is often described as being a medieval wonder, combining a long religious history with a commanding presence as a military fortress.

During the One Hundred Years’ War, St Amand de Coly suffered significant damage and was later the subject of a dramatic sixteenth century siege. However, it was the French Revolution which ended its life as a religious centre.

St Amand de Coly today

Today, St Amand de Coly remains a spectacular building open to the public, albeit very plain decore. The outer walls of the monastery remain, half ruined, but one will still get a clear sense of how villagers might have run to the abbey for defense when invading armies ravaged this part of France.

St Amand is one of the smallest of the beautiful villages in France and so one will not find many tourists here – in fact, you won’t find much commerce of any kind, except for a shop selling regional products and a small bar/café across from the church. You can walk all of the streets in town in less than an hour, although there are signposts for a more serious hike if you want to follow them into the surrounding countryside.

The church is also used for concerts in the summer. As you arrive in the village the huge bell-tower and door are the first thing you will notice. The village also still has an old poor hospital built in the 14th century and renovated in the 18th century.

Getting to St Amand de Coly

The address of the village is 24290 Saint-Amand-de-Coly. It is located near the town of Brive La Gaillarde and is roughly a 45 minute drive from Perigueux.