Walking - Le moulin du Prieur

Origins and Development of Saint-Anthème

In the 9th century, Benedictine monks from the Manglieu Abbey, near Issoire, founded a priory dedicated to Saint Blaise. These “clearing” monks also built a mill (the mill of the prieur) on a bend of the Ance du Nord. The first houses of the village grew around the priory on a rocky spur. From the late 16th century, under the impetus of the Hérail de Pierrefort la Roue family, Saint-Anthème experienced significant development, notably with the construction of the Place de la Halle and the castle (of which only the Renaissance gateway remains). The Grande-rue pierced the ramparts to connect new districts to the north. Around 1750, the royal road crossing the canalized Ance du Nord fixed the development of the town towards the west. Inns and shops were built along this axis, while the Place de l’Aubépin was created around 1760. In the 20th century, various peripheral districts developed along the road axes.