Saint-Symphorien priory, which was a dependency of the abbey of Lonlay, is intimately linked to the castle of Domfront because, being located within its walls, its church acted as a castle chapel.
Its foundation may have been due to Guillaume Talvas, lord of Bellême, who had the first castle built in c. 1040.
The construction of the currently visible part dates back to the end of the 11th century or beginning of the 12th, a period which in the Passais region saw intense architectural activity, both religious (the abbey of Lonlay and its priories) as well as military (keep of Domfront castle).
The ruins of the building which was destroyed at the same time as the castle in c. 1608-1609 and was covered by three metres of earthworks, were only brought to light in the 1980s.

Bibliography

- Baylé, M. "Priorale Saint-Symphorien (Domfront) : décors et dates de construction", Le domfrontais médiéval, t. 3, 1985, p. 9-15.
- Dandurand, M. "La chapelle priorale Saint-Symphorien", Annuaire des cinq départements de la Normandie, Congrès de La Ferté-Macé, 147e congrès, 1989, p. 31.
- Nissen Jaubert, A. "Les fouilles archéologiques du prieuré Saint-Symphorien", Le domfrontais médiéval, t. 11, 1991, p. 5-11.
- Nissen-Jaubert, A. "Le prieuré castral Saint-Symphorien. Premières conclusions", in : Archéologie dans l'Orne (1987-1992), Bulletin de la société historique et archéologique de l'Orne, CXI, n° 2-3-4, juin-déc. 1992, p. 129-144.
- Baylé, M. "Saint-Symphorien" in : L'architecture normande au Moyen-Age, t. II, Caen-Condé, 1997, p. 88-91.