Templars and water

The Templars carefully chose the site where they would build their "domus". One of the most important points was accessibility to water. What was the situation at Arville Commandery, France?

The commandery was built along the Couëtron, which provided it with drinking water and fish, but also the possibility of installing a mill: the latter, mentioned as early as the 16th century, cannot be located with precision.

Two ponds are present today, the first in the courtyard of the commandery and the second along the outer wall at the level of the dovecote: only the latter exists on the first cadastral plan of Arville drawn up in 1813.

Two wells complete this water supply: the first, mentioned as early as 1750, is located between the outbuildings and the barn and the second, mentioned in 1694/1695, occupies the site of the former dwelling destroyed in the first half of the 19th century.

Although we cannot guarantee that the wells and ponds are Templar in origin, it is clear that the Hospitallers (after 1314) and private owners (after 1789) were able to keep the site constantly supplied with water.

This blog quotes a Facebook post (translated by TN from French and slightly edited) of April 17, 2021 by Arville Commandrie. Illustration is from the same source.

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