ClasséChurch · protected 1840Ancienne église Saint-MarcPhoto: AccueilSouvigny · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Prieuré bénédictin de Souvigny · Photo: Daniel VILLAFRUELA . · CC BY-SA 4.08historic monuments
History of Souvigny · Monuments historiques
8 historic monuments, 2 classé
A protected historic area (site patrimonial remarquable) is on the ministry’s list; its rules are still being drawn up. Souvigny’s oldest monuments date from the 12th century. For every 10,000 residents Souvigny counts 47 monuments, against 2.5 in the median compared French town. 3 of Souvigny’s monuments are in our photos.
Monuments historiques
8
47 per 10,000 residents
median compared town 2.5
median compared town 2.5
Classé
2
the highest protection
Inscrit
6
the second level
Oldest part
12th c.
of any listed monument
Homes before 1919
30%
median compared town 7.4%
In pictures
Monuments of Souvigny in pictures
Tap a photo to step through them full screen.
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server, each credited to its photographer with its license; names open the monument’s page.
Map
Where Souvigny’s monuments stand
Every monument with a point on the ministry’s list; the larger, darker dots are classé.
ClasséInscrit
Tap a dot to open the monument’s page: its record, photo and the monuments around it.
8 monuments by protection
2 Classé6 Inscrit
Classé is the higher protection: any work on the building needs the State’s permission. Work on an inscrit building must be declared to the State in advance. Around both, building work in sight of the monument (usually within 500 m) needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
Points as the ministry gives them: a monument spread over several plots has one point.
Classé
2 classé monuments in Souvigny
Classé is France’s highest protection for a building, held by about a third of the monuments on the list. Each card opens the monument’s page.
ClasséAbbey · protected 1926Prieuré bénédictin de SouvignyPhoto: Daniel VILLAFRUELA . · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Inscrit
6 inscrit monuments in Souvigny
Inscrit is the second level of protection: the building is worth keeping, and any work on it must be declared.
InscritHouse · protected 1931Maison dite Le ChâteauPart of the building is protectedPhoto: Daniel VILLAFRUELA . · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Château · protected 2010Château de la Viveyre
House · protected 1982Maison dite Maison des voûtes (ou des hôtes)Part of the building is protected
Fortified house · protected 1975Maison forte dite La MatrayPart of the building is protected
Château · protected 1975Château de ChéryPart of the building is protected
Château · protected 1976Château des ChauletsPart of the building is protected
How old
How old Souvigny’s monuments are
Each monument once, by the oldest part the list dates.
Prehistory & Antiquity to the 4th c.0
Middle Ages 5th–15th c.5
16th to 18th century Renaissance to Revolution3
19th century 1801–19000
20th century and later since 19010
5 of 8 dated monuments have parts from before 1500. The oldest dated: Ancienne église Saint-Marc (12th c.).
Protected area
A protected historic area is on its way in Souvigny
Sites patrimoniaux remarquables on the Culture ministry’s list, with the plan in force.
| Area | Created as | Plan in force |
|---|---|---|
| SPR84-16 | ZPPAUP July 26, 1999 | Still being drawn up |
A site patrimonial remarquable protects a whole area rather than one building: inside it, building work follows the area’s own plan and needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
The list gives no boundaries, so the map can’t show the area.
Age of homes
30% of homes in Souvigny were built before 1919
Main homes by when they were finished, beside the median compared French town (the tick).
30%
Before 1919
11%
1919–45
15%
1946–70
24%
1971–90
13%
1991–2005
8%
2006 on
SouvignyMedian compared French town
30% of its main homes were built before 1919; the median compared French town has 7.4%. More of them were finished before 1919 than in any other period (30%).
INSEE, census 2023: main homes (résidences principales) only; second homes and empty homes aren’t dated.
Born before 1900
3 people born in Souvigny before 1900
Their lives on one line.
Jean Joseph Deléage
Albert Minier
Jean Després
170017501800185019001950
JJ
Jean Joseph Deléage1734–1811 · French politician
AM
Albert Minier1857–1931 · French politician
JD
Jean Després1889–1980 · jewelry designer
Everyone born in Souvigny Birthplaces from Wikidata, checked against Wikipedia.
Neighbors
Historic monuments in the towns around Souvigny
| Town | Residents | Monuments | Classé | Protected area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Souvigny | 1,698 | 8 | 2 | Yes |
| Moulins | 19,206 | 54 | 17 | Yes |
| Avermes | 4,074 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Yzeure | 12,897 | 4 | 1 | — |
| Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule | 4,884 | 4 | 1 | — |
| Varennes-sur-Allier | 3,549 | 0 | 0 | — |
In brief
Souvigny in brief
Ancienne église Saint-Marc, from the 12th century, is the oldest monument in Souvigny. All told, the list holds 8 historic monuments, 2 of them classé, including Prieuré bénédictin de Souvigny. Its housing is old: 30% of homes date from before 1919, against 7.4% in the median compared French town.
Of the 8 with a date, 5 come from the Middle Ages. Jean Joseph Deléage (1734), Albert Minier (1857) and Jean Després (1889) were all born here before 1900. Beyond that, most entries are houses and homes; and the list grew between 1840 and 2010.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Monuments historiques. France protects buildings at two levels. Classé, the higher (about a third of the list), means any work needs the State’s permission; inscrit means work must be declared to the State in advance. The Culture ministry’s Mérimée base lists every protected building, and this page counts them.
- Partly protected. Many entries protect part of a building only (its façades and roofs, a staircase, a painted room). Each counts as one monument, like a fully protected one.
- Where a monument is counted. In the commune named on its protection, moved to today’s commune where communes have since merged. A monument listed for several communes counts in each.
- Sites patrimoniaux remarquables. Since 2016 France’s protected historic areas (the former secteurs sauvegardés, ZPPAUP and AVAP) share one name. Inside one, building work follows the area’s plan and needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
- What isn’t here. Protected objects (furniture, organs, paintings), old buildings with no protection, UNESCO World Heritage listings and labels such as “Plus Beaux Villages de France” aren’t on this list, so this page doesn’t count them.
- No History Grade yet. Everything on this page is described, not graded: France’s History Grade isn’t built yet.
Questions about the history of Souvigny
How many historic monuments are there in Souvigny?
The Culture ministry lists 8 historic monuments in Souvigny: 2 classé and 6 inscrit.
Which monuments in Souvigny are classé?
2, among them Ancienne église Saint-Marc and Prieuré bénédictin de Souvigny.
How old are the monuments of Souvigny?
The oldest parts of its listed monuments date from the 12th century.
Is Souvigny a protected historic area?
One is on the way: a site patrimonial remarquable for Souvigny is on the ministry’s list, but its rules are still being drawn up.
When were monuments in Souvigny first protected?
The first in 1840, the latest in 2010.
How old are the homes in Souvigny?
30% of its main homes were built before 1919 (median compared French town: 7.4%).
France has no History Grade yet: this page describes, it doesn’t grade.
Sources: Ministère de la Culture, Mérimée base on POP (immeubles protégés au titre des monuments historiques), October 2026 · Ministère de la Culture, sites patrimoniaux remarquables, October 2026 · INSEE, census 2023 (main homes by build period) · Wikidata and Wikipedia (people born here) · Wikimedia Commons and Wikidata (photos of the monuments, each with its own credit and license) · IGN Admin Express (boundaries) · Medians and percentiles: TownRatings, over compared French towns, updated November 4, 2026. Under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab).
Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.