Chaillevette

Chaillevette is a West commune with 1444 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the department of Charente -Maritime in the Poitou -Charentes.

Location

Chaillevette is on -crossed by canals south bank of the Seudre on the area between the Gironde and the Seudre Arvert peninsula, part of the historic cultural landscape of the Saintonge, which in turn is itself a part of the landscape of the Charente. The nearest major town Royan (about 15 km south route ).

Demographics

In the 19th century the place had resistant 920-1180 inhabitants. Due to the mechanization of agriculture, the population has declined significantly in the first half of the 20th century.

Economy

For centuries, agriculture and fishing play the dominant roles in the economy of the community. This is one of the Bons Bois wine-growing region of Cognac, but because of the slump in sales in expensive brandies wine is grown any more. Many farmers have returned to 'normal' agriculture. As an additional source of income to oyster farming has been established.

Since the 1960s, tourism plays a significant role in the economic life of the village.

History

The municipal area of prehistoric and Gallo -Roman remains have been found; Formerly it was in the municipality two megalithic tombs ( dolmen ), of which only sparse remnants exist. Chaillevette survived - unlike the neighboring Arvert - the Hundred Years War (1337-1453) and the Wars of Religion (1562-1598), who went with the Edict of Nantes at the end, largely unscathed. By the Edict of Fontainebleau ( 1685) was the Protestant faith, the West of France, in some communities adhered to more than two-thirds of the population, harassed again. However, he continued to live in the underground - the believers met secretly in the dunes or in barns; one spoke of a church in the wilderness ' ( Église du Desert ). Only with the tolerant in religious matters Marshal and Governor Jean Charles de Saint- Nectaire the situation for Protestants in the middle of the 18th century improved to the Arvert peninsula again.

Attractions

• The Catholic Parish Church ( Église Saint- Pierre ) is a simple building from the late 18th century. A standing nearby Romanesque church was demolished due to disrepair. The unadorned western facade has a classical portal with a metope triglyph. In the nave interior has been knocked off during restoration work of the plaster from the walls, so that - as with the churches of Arvert and Les Mathes - the masonry is visible; it forms a delightful contrast to the low-hanging plastered stucco vault, which was applied to a wooden plate shuttering.
• The Protestant church ( temple ) stands on the outskirts. The ' floor ' of the optical two-storey building has no limbs and unadorned; in the ' upstairs ', which is further divided by a circumferential ledge, approximately a dozen windows lined up, each separated by pilasters. Above the portal is to be found - the only architectural decoration - an unfolded cloth with an open book and the words Le Christ est ma vie.

Partner community

• Reuilly, Indre (France)