The death of Étienne of Thiers, son of Viscount of
Thiers prompted the movement of his flock from the forest of
Muret (near to
Limoges) to the
Grandmont plateau, where they built the
Abbey of Grandmont. This region then became the hub to more than 160 smaller monasteries, inhabited by more than 1500 hermits, of which, the Priory of St Michel de Grandmont at
Lodève was one. By 1772 the
Grandmontaine Order had dwindled in popularity, and was eventually dissolved, and the Priory was absorbed into the
Diocese of Lodève. Two monks remained in the Priory until their deaths in 1785. The convent was considered to be one of the strictest and most austere orders of the Middle Ages. There was no hierarchy, archives, or heating. The monks walked with bare feet, in perpetual silence. They ate no meat and fasted regularly, and as they worked, they engaged in silent prayer. The convent was also the first order to be permitted to beg for food. The building survived the
French Revolution without damage and passed into the hands of a local merchant family, who developed it as a home and agricultural estate. From 1849 to 1936 it was owned by the Vitalis family, who were cloth manufacturers. Etienne Vitalis restored the buildings, making them fit for habitation, and wine production. In 1957 it was bought by the Bec family, who owned a local engineering firm. In 1980 the Priory was classed as a historic monument, and opened its doors to the public. == Architecture ==