It is not known exactly when the Templars settled in Arville, but some believe this took place shortly after the Council of Troyes, and therefore sometime between the 1130s and the 1140s. They base this dating on a charter from the Abbey of Saint-Denis⁽¹⁾ in Nogent-sur-Rotrou, dating from ‘the same period’ (though without specifying an exact date), in which the name of Brother Guillaume d’Arville is mentioned.

This initial donation is said to have been made by Geoffroy III, Viscount of Châteaudun⁽²⁾, and consisted of an "unspoilt" forest estate covering approximately 1000 hectares.

What is certain, in any case, is that in 1180, Hugh IV, Viscount of Châteaudun⁽³⁾, granted the Temple of Arville the right to graze 20 cows and 10 pigs all year round in the woods he owned near their house.

In 1208, a charter concerning the Temple of La Bourdinière mentions Robert d’Avelin as Commander of Arville and two brothers of the Order, Laurent and Garin, as witnesses to the settlement of a property dispute with the Count of Chartres.

A final charter, dated 1270, tells us that Sir Baudouin of Cornwall and his wife bequeathed themselves and their property to the House of the Temple of Jerusalem in Arville.

Following the dissolution of the Order of the Temple in 1312, the house in Arville became the property of the Order of the Hospital.

During the Hundred Years’ War⁽⁴⁾, the Arville estate suffered such extensive destruction and devastation that, in 1410, a decree issued by the chapter of the Order of the Hospital granted the inhabitants of Arville permission to pay only half the dues they owed to the Order, on account of the damage caused by the English.

Towards the end of the 15^th century, the Arville estate, which was in a state of disrepair as evidenced by the report of a priory inspection in 1495, became a dependency of the Sours estate.

In the 17th century, the Aville estate was rebuilt and flourishing. Another account of a visit mentions that it comprised a beautiful estate surrounded by a moat, with grounds covering 80 arpents, including hare enclosures, gardens and orchards...

At that time, the House of Arville owned numerous farms and smallholdings situated in several neighbouring parishes, namely : in the parish of Arville, the smallholdings of La Colasserie, La Louche-la-Pierre and L’Atre Guillaume, as well as the farm of La Provenderie; in the parish of La Chapelle-Guillaume, the smallholding of La Pinterie; in the parish of Etilleux, the smallholding of La Chenaie; in the parish of Saint-Mexent, the smallholding of Le Temple; and in the parish of Gault, the farm of La Gravasière.

Today, the Arville Commandery remains, owing to the scale of its existing buildings, a unique complex and one of the best-preserved commanderies in France.

Description of the existing buildings :

1. The porch :
   The central section dates from the Templar period, in the 12^th century. The turrets are of a later date and were built in the 15^th and 16^th centuries, during the period when the site was occupied by the Order of St John. The pinnacles are covered with chestnut-wood tiles known as "bardeaux".
   
   
2. Center of Chivalric Orders :
   This building, rebuilt in the 16^th century, was originally a stable capable of housing 50 horses. The roof structure and roofing were destroyed by a fire caused by a storm in 1983. They were rebuilt exactly as they were in 1984, with the exception of the timber used: oak is now used instead of the chestnut that was used at the time.
   
   
3. The tithe barn :
   Rebuilt by the Hospitallers, it regained its original appearance following the demolition of a house that had been built inside it by farmers. The 16th-century roof structure is made of chestnut.
   
   
4. The church :
   Built in the 12^th century as a Templar chapel, it is in the Romanesque style, topped by a bell tower with three semicircular arches, symbolising the Trinity. Beneath the window is a Maltese cross, the emblem of the Knights Hospitaller.
   It is built of "grison", a local stone (a conglomerate of flint, quartz, clay and iron ore); another typical stone frequently used in the region is "roussard".
   
   
5. The dovecote :
   There are 2,000 holes ("boulins"), each representing one arpent of land (50 ares), totalling 1,000 hectares, which corresponded to the area of the Knights Templar’s farm.
   A fine square-shaped roof structure made of chestnut timber.