Marcillac-Lanville: Priory, trails and market

When searching for hotels for a trip to Marcillac-Lanville, the purpose of your visit can help shape your plans: the former priory, the Romanesque church, the northern hillside landscape and local activities each offer a different perspective on the area. The following topics will help you put the architectural history, trails and a visit to the market into context.

Notre-Dame de Lanville: architectural form and historical layers

The former Priory of Notre-Dame de Lanville was affiliated with the Augustinian Canons around 1120. The Romanesque priory church has the ground plan of a Latin cross: the long nave forms the longitudinal axis, and the transept crosses it. A dome on pendentives completes this layout. Pendentives are curved transitional surfaces that allow a dome to span a square space. The ground plan and dome therefore describe different parts of the same spatial arrangement.

Sculpted decoration can be found on the capitals of the arcades and the small columns of the choir windows. The church was fortified in the 15th century; this fortification adds a later historical layer to the Romanesque architecture. The stained-glass windows seen today were created by Coline Favre of the Atelier de Tusson in 1986. To understand the chronology, it is therefore helpful to consider the architectural form, fortification and windows as distinct phases.

Walking tour and cultural programme

“Prieurale de Lanville, Le secret de Notre-Dame” is an immersive virtual reality tour in the “Les itinéraires du temps” programme. It is delivered through the Legendr digital app. A narrated tour lets visitors discover the sites at their own pace. The programme’s discovery kit is available at Le Marcivil, 4 Place de la Mairie, 16140 Marcillac-Lanville.

The “Opéra des champs et compagnie” festival introduces opera in the Rouillacais through concerts, musical presentations and opera meals. The programme varies from one edition to the next; check the current festival calendar before planning your trip.

Hillsides, trails and waterways

North of Marcillac-Lanville, the hillsides are cultivated and wooded. They offer wide views of the town centre and Lanville. The built heritage also includes a medieval motte and the Motte de la Taillette. A motte is a raised medieval fortification; these two sites thus complement the priory’s stone architecture with other forms of local heritage.

The GR 38 long-distance trail and a Way of St James pass through Marcillac-Lanville. If you plan a hike, check the current waymarking locally. The waterways also differ between parts of the municipality: the Charente is the main river draining the south. Its west-to-east-flowing tributary, the Auge, runs there; the north is drained by the Aume, also a tributary of the Charente.

Plan a Sunday market visit

The farmers’ market in Marcillac-Lanville is held year-round on Sundays from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm. The stalls offer fish, grilled dishes, honey, and fruit and vegetables. A market visit can therefore be planned as a separate activity during your stay, whether you are mainly interested in the church architecture or the countryside. Check the latest market information before travelling.

Discover more destinations: Nonac, Confolens, Lignières-Sonneville, Nanteuil-En-Vallée, Saint-Estèphe, Cognac, Guizengeard, Ruelle-sur-Touvre.

For the broader travel overview: Charente.