Saint-Brice (Charente)
Saint -Brice is a southwestern French village with 997 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the department of Charente in the Poitou -Charentes.
Location
Saint -Brice is located approximately 20 meters above sea level. inst directly on the north bank of the Charente. Only about 5.5 km ( route ) to the northwest separate the city from the town of Cognac; the beautiful church St- Martin de Gensac la Pallue is only about 7 kilometers southeast.
Demographics
In the first census in France in 1793, the city had 591 inhabitants; only after the Second World War began a slow but steady population growth.
Economy
The agriculture and especially the wine played in the villages of the Charente always been an important role. While grain was grown mainly for their own needs, you could earn with the wine export to England and Scotland good money, which had to be satisfied with the lesser part of Merit wine growers. Today, the north bank of the Charente in Saint -Brice belongs to the Petite Champagne of great growing region of Cognac wines while the south bank of the river belongs to the location of the Fins Bois.
History
About the history of Saint- Brice few data are handed - in about 2.5 kilometers east suburb of La Garde- Épée are two dolmens from the time of the megalithic culture; also here the foundation remains of a Roman structure ( thermal baths? ) were discovered. Perhaps not without reason established canons of the Augustinian Order in the 11th century in this area, the abbey or the Canons of Chatre. At that time there were already the medieval village whose houses were grouped around the Church of Saint -Brice. In the 16th and 17th centuries, two feudal manors were built ( châteaux ), one in the place, the other at La Garde- Épée.
Attractions
Abbey Church of Chatre
Other
- The Romanesque church of Saint -Brice is a single-nave building from the 12th and 13th centuries. The western façade is reinforced by two eckständigen buttresses, but otherwise without any Bauzier. The crossing tower with its wide open on all sides bell storey shows a beautiful late Romanesque style feeling. Unusual or strange is the high apparent gable between choir bay and apse. The church building was registered in 1964 as a monument historique.
- The Château Saint -Brice is a watchable construction of the baroque period - but with two of the Middle Ages reminiscent Eckrundtürmen that have their original function as stairs and defense towers long lost and are thus meant only decorative or representative. The castle, together with its large and well maintained garden above the banks of the Charente is located since the 19th century belonged to the Hennessy family and can not be viewed accordingly. Nevertheless, the building is registered as a monument historique since 1971.
- Good 2.5 km east of the village rises the megalithzeitliche Dolmen de Garde- Épée, the six - partly smoothed - sidestones and two huge deck plates is. A - formerly well known - casing made of smaller stones, soil and grass was removed over time by human hands. The construction is dated to the period around 3500 BC and was already classified as a monument historique in 1926.
- Only 200 meters away are the remains of another dolmen ( Rocher de la Vache ), which is classified as a monument historique since 1934.
- Not far from the two dolmens is the Château de Garde- Épée of which actually only the wall mount is obtained with a mighty Eckrundturm and a two- time input porta - the buildings inside originate mainly from the 18th and 19th centuries. The great portal arch was only open for carriages and riders, the smaller but nice designed site portal served as a gateway for visitors of the lower classes. On the lawn in front of the entrance to the castle complex is a dovecote ( pigeon ) with the stone coat of builder Jacques Ancelin above the entrance. The entire building complex comes from the original 16-17. century; it was destroyed during the Revolution in large parts. Nevertheless, he was classified as a monument historique in 1973.