Dawn: Avalleur Commandery promises a rich and immersive cultural season for its exceptional Templar heritage

Nestled on the heights of Bar-sur-Seine (Aube), the Avalleur Commandery stands as an exceptional witness to Templar history in France. Starting May 13, 2025, the site will once again offer a rich and varied cultural program, inspired by the history of the site and that of the religious order of the Middle Ages.

Founded before 1142, this former commandery of the Order of the Temple is indeed one of the best-preserved medieval complexes in Northern Europe. It is located in a department deeply marked by the history of the order, its creation having been formalized at the Council of Troyes in 1129. The city was also the birthplace of Hugues de Payns, the first Master of the Templars.

The Avalleur Commandery, with its intact chapel and its main building dating back mainly to its origins, is an architectural and historical gem, having survived the suppression of the order in 1312. The site was then entrusted to the Hospitallers of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, who continued to operate it until the Revolution. In 2008, the Aube Department acquired the building, then the chapel in 2020, and opened the site to the public in 2018.

"We had a very good season last year, with more than 10,000 visitors," rejoices Valéry Denis, departmental councilor. "The goal is 15,000 visitors and eventually, of course, we're going to probably exceed 30,000 visitors." An ambition that won't be possible right away, as he acknowledges: "For that, we'll have to resize the site, I'm thinking in particular of the parking lot. To attract a wide audience, we conduct a major annual event focusing on the Templars and medieval history."

This entertainment policy is thus accelerating for the 2025 season. Visitors will be able to attend conferences, participate in educational workshops, discover exhibitions and enjoy medieval shows.

The Avalleur Commandery makes a point of offering activities accessible to all. "The theme of health will be present starting in June," says Samuel Silvarez, head of the Avalleur Commandery. "We know that the Hospitallers inhabited the commandery after the Templars. And one of the Hospitallers' primary missions was to provide care."

The exhibition created by Inrap will thus present, "from the Paleolithic to the present day, the relationship between humans and their fellow human beings when it comes to actions and intentions involving gestures of care, empathy and altruism," explains the director. "We will also find the theme of health on the day of the medieval festival: we will talk about war, the Crusades, but also health in the Middle Ages , with a troop of Hospitallers who will present workshops on war medicine, but also on traditional medicine in the Middle Ages."

Until October, every Wednesday and Saturday, workshops are also offered to younger visitors, including one on wax seals, which allows participants to understand the importance of these objects in the Middle Ages, when they adorned all treaties and agreements. Other workshops, such as creating coats of arms and an introduction to calligraphy, offer educational and fun experiences.

This summer will also celebrate, for the more athletic, the return of the "A l'Aube des Templiers" Trail, with three running courses and two hikes, on July 12. Other highlights include the Local Market on Sunday, June 1, then a giant Cluedo on Friday, August 15, or the medieval festival, planned for the weekend of September 10 and 11, which will offer an immersion in the daily life of the Templars with activities for all ages.

While archaeological excavations have already revealed many secrets about the Avalleur Commandery, they will continue this fall with the restoration of the chapel. And the hope is to gain an ever-greater understanding of the commandery's organization and the daily lives of its occupants over the centuries. "These excavations truly allow us to expand our knowledge of the site's history," insists Samuel Silvarez. "Each excavation period reveals a building or a part of its history that we were previously unaware of."

This new campaign should thus reveal frescoes whose existence is suspected, under the limewash that currently covers them.

Another new feature this season is a Templar dressed in white, alongside the sergeant in brown. The two uniforms on mannequins reveal the difference between the two types of Templars who lived in the order's commanderies. While the former, the knights, left for the Orient for the Crusades, their comrades in brown or black, the servants, remained in the country to manage the surrounding farmland.

Alongside this new season of events, the Aube department aims to make the Avalleur Commandery a major stop on the European Templar Heritage Route . An application to obtain the European Cultural Route label will be submitted in July 2026, bringing together eight European countries and nearly 50 members. This recognition would further promote Templar heritage and attract an international audience.

Practical: The complete program of the Avalleur commandery is available on the Aube department website . The commandery, located in Bar-sur-Seine (Aube), is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., from May 13 to October 5, 2025. While admission is free for self-guided tours, some activities may be subject to a charge or require a reservation.