Dampierre-sur-Boutonne

Dampierre -sur -Boutonne is a West commune with 279 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the department of Charente -Maritime in the Poitou -Charentes.

Location

Dampierre -sur -Boutonne is located approximately 50 meters above sea level. inst in the northeast of the historic cultural landscape of the Saintonge about 50 km ( driving distance ) northeast of Saintes and also about 50 kilometers northwest of the town of Cognac. The capital of the canton, Aulnay, is located only about eight kilometers south-east. The community Matha with its two interesting churches located about 26 km to the south. Through the town flows the river Boutonne.

Demographics

Economy

Along the Boutonne settled in the late Middle Ages, several water mills, which - again modernized - were in operation until the end of the 19th century. Centuries was operated in the area in addition to agriculture and viticulture, so all the vines were uprooted end of the 19th century as a result of the phylloxera crisis and not replanted again. Today the town thrives on cereal crops (wheat, corn, sunflower, canola ) and of the livestock industry (milk, cheese ) substantially.

History

The story of Dampierre -sur -Boutonne goes back to the Roman or Gallo- Roman period, as near a fortified camp ( castrum ) was. In the 10-11. Century a castle was built, of which an octagonal stair tower was built in the 12th century church.

The Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) was Dampierre temporarily in English hands until it in 1373 by Bertrand du Guesclin was recaptured for the French crown. During the Wars of Religion in the period 1562 to 1598 both the Church and the castle had repeated attacks on the part of Protestants to endure.

Attractions

• The largely undecorated single-nave Romanesque church of Saint -Pierre stands in the center and dates from the 12th century, but was extended by additions on the south side in the 16th century. Only the apse features both inside and out on an abstract- geometric Bauzier. The nave is a flat ceiling; a prepared ribbed vault was not performed. A painted frieze with coat of arms - similar to those in Rétaud and Rioux - moves the walls. In the buildings of the 16th century there is a coffered ceiling, which is comparable in structure to those in the castle - only without the allegorical representations. The building was classified as a monument historique in 1969.
• The main attraction of Dampierre is that of a moated castle Dampierre -sur -Boutonne from the Renaissance period, was begun in 1495. From that time the two remaining medieval-style round towers date. In the early 17th century two-storey corps de logis was tackled, which opens through to the Hofgarten arcades page. The arcade of the upper floor has an exceptionally rich relief decoration coffered ceiling with a variety of allegorical figures, awards, crests, cryptic symbols, etc., the emblem books of the period are largely removed. The building was classified as a monument historique in 1926.
• In the vicinity of the town there is a donkey farm which it has taken on the task, the big shaggy Poitou donkeys that were once kept exclusively for the purpose of mule breeding to preserve them for posterity.