Civray (Vienne)

Civray is a French small town with 2878 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) in the department of Vienne in the Poitou -Charentes.

Location

Civray situated on the river Charente at an altitude of about 114 meters above sea level. inst Up to Poitiers is approximately 60 km ( driving distance ) to the north.; to the north-eastern town of Montmorillon there are also about 60 kilometers. The remarkable place Melle ( Deux -Sèvres ) is located about 40 miles northwest.

Demographics

In the first census in France in 1793 had 1,459 inhabitants Civray; then the population increased continuously on the present state.

History

Origin of the former settlement and today's town was probably a ford, and later a bridge over the Charente. Since about 1030 Civray was considered one of the best guarded places in Poitou. After the peace of Brétigny ( 1360 ), the French King John II had large parts of Aquitaine to his English conqueror, Edward III. cede. However, the peace did not last long and so the French army commander Bertrand du Guesclin from 1369 has many applications - including Civray - reconquered. Then you do not hear much from Civray. In the time of the French Revolution the place was a stronghold of the new ideals.

Attractions

Former Priory St- Nicolas

Other

• In the vicinity of the place of megalithzeitliche Dolmen de la Pierre Pèse is a - almost self-supporting - capstone.
• There is a small archaeological museum ( Archaeological Museum ), in which mainly local small finds from prehistory, antiquity and the middle ages to see.
• A building from the 15th century (Hôtel Louis XIII. , Or Hôtel de la Prévôté ) has a late Gothic portal, a stair tower and a beautiful Renaissance windows. It was recorded in 1927 in the list of Monuments historiques.
• Another building in the city center still has a late medieval round tower from the 15th century; The tower is listed as a monument historique since 1935.
• From the old market hall, a cast iron construction of the 19th century, there are only photos.
• A few houses have Renaissance portals of 16-17. Century.

Renaissance portal Rue Louis XIII N ° 4

Environment

About 10 kilometers northwest of the small town Champagné- le -Sec is a single-nave, Romanesque beautifully restored parish church ( 12th century ) with a roof made of thin natural stone slabs ( roofing stones ) and with remains of frescoes ( 13./15. Century ) inside. In the front of the church some unadorned early medieval stone coffins ( sarcophagi ) were issued, which were found on the former cemetery surrounding the church.

The single village church in Champniers (10 kilometers north-east ) also dates back in parts to the 12th century and still holds the remains of a fresco cycle from the 13th or 14th century ( Christ in the mandorla, Judgement, Hell scenes, etc. ).

The pitiful remnants ( crossing tower, chapter house ) of the formerly historically and architecturally important Benedictine abbey of Charroux lie about 11 kilometers to the east.