A dynamic Priest in Le Brignon.

Abbot Aulanier, the parish Priest of Le Brignon in the 17th century, kept records of the commune for fifty years. The modest tomb of the Aulanier family still remains as you enter the graveyard on the right.

These chronicles, almost completely preserved, have been published in several volumes. They constitute an exceptional source of research for historians who wish to study daily life in a rural parish in the 17th century.

From 1636 to 1691, Abbot Aulanier recorded every day events, with consistency and an eye for observation and great detail, everything that made up the daily life of his parish and his flock, recounting his various journeys (he was an intrepid horseman and tireless traveller) and describing the various plagues which then ravaged the region. These bound chronicles of a country Priest are unique in France; some 12,000 pages of compact and concise writing, practically impossible for a layman to decipher.

A country plagued by insecurity.

In the 17th century, there were many instances where a person insulted, killed, or gutted another person at every opportunity for little or no reason. A country then plagued by insecurity is described by Father Aulanier. In addition to miscarriages, infant mortality, and burning fevers, there were numerous violent deaths. During the 17th century, the parish of Le Brignon recorded one or two violent criminal cases every year.

Several attacks were made against the somewhat provocative Abbot himself. We can read from his chronicles: "the night between Sunday and Monday from July 19 to 20, 1665, nocturnal thieves wanting to enter my house at the rectory to murder me and pillage all my property, forced the door of my barn.” On April 29, 1651, the priest again reported an attack against his person: “I was attacked by Toussaint R… carrying a large scythe in one hand, a large stone in the other and shouting unpleasant insults. He mentioned that he had a desire to kill me and would have done so had it not been for my strong resistance, asking me why I did not hear his confession at Easter. I answered him, as it was true, that he did not present himself to me.” Father Aulanier was often faced with a torrent of insults from his Parishioners, who held the belief that Priests were responsible for hail storms. In 1656, these same parishioners whispered in his ear “that he was as wild as a savage horse, a man that the devil would carry away, and that one day they would kill him because he had caused violent storms”. In common with most priests who died during that period, the Abbot was buried in the church.