Thézac, Charente-Maritime

Thézac is a West commune with 316 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the department of Charente -Maritime in the Poitou -Charentes.

Location

The place is located in Saintonge about 19 km ( driving distance ) south-west of Saintes and about 26 kilometers east of the Gironde estuary at Royan. The capital of the canton, Saujon, is only about 14 kilometers to the west; the neighboring village of Saint- Romain- de -Benet is about 5 km in a north-westerly direction away.

Demographics

Economy

Agriculture and Viticulture determine for centuries the economic life of the village. Since the 1980s, tourism has been added ( Rentals ) as a source of income.

History

About the history of Thézac is virtually nothing known or published. Sometimes, however, says that the once lavish church belonged to a priory of more than 300 kilometers away, Abbey of La Chaise- Dieu (Auvergne ), which is unlikely due to the large distance. Anyway, the Priory was the crystallization nucleus for the further development of the town.

Attractions

• The church of Notre -Dame with its imposing Romanesque crossing tower is the main attraction of Thézac and visible from afar. The tower is not converted into an octagon, but retains its square ground plan in the two each slightly stepped storeys in, of which the bottom in all directions five arcades shows, while the upper floor boasting three equal high sound arcades. Built with precisely cut stone exterior apse is hardly broken and has no architectural decoration, as in other churches in the region ( Saint- Trojan ( Rétaud ) and Notre Dame ( Rioux ) ), is found in abundant measure. This fact points to an early construction period ( around 1100 ), while the tower is probably made ​​around until around 1150. Large parts of the church have been destroyed in the turmoil of the past centuries and thus leads the - completely unadorned - entrance from the period around 1500 whose Eckzwickel be underpinned by supportive squinches directly into the basement of the tower with its unusual eight- ribbed dome. Choir bay and the considerably more complex designed interior of the apse were formerly vaulted, but are covered with a wooden roof was rather poorly for centuries; the capitals show perfectly crafted crafted vegetable motifs. The building is recognized as a monument historique since 1903.