Châtellerault
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| Commune of Châtellerault | |
| Location | |
| Longitude | 00° 32' 46" E |
| Latitude | 46° 49' 04" N |
| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Région | Poitou-Charentes |
| Département | Vienne (sous-préfecture) |
| Arrondissement | Châtellerault |
| Canton | Chief town of 3 cantons |
| Intercommunality | Communauté d'agglomération du Pays Châtelleraudais |
| Mayor | Joël Tondusson (2001-2008) |
| Statistics | |
| Altitude | 42 m–134 m (avg. 60 m) |
| Land area¹ | 51.96 km² |
| Population² (1999) |
34,192 |
| - Density (1999) | 658/km² |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 86066/ 86100 |
| ¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq. mi. or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| ² Population sans doubles comptes: single count of residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel). | |
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Châtellerault is a commune in the Vienne département, in the Poitou-Charentes région of France. It is located north of Poitou in Touraine. Population (1999): 34,192 (Châtelleraudais).
Contents |
[edit] Geography
The Clain River joins the Vienne River near Châtellerault, in Cenon-sur-Vienne.
[edit] History
The town of Châtellerault was an important stronghold on the northern marsh of Poitou, established by the Count of Poitiers to secure his borders in the early 10th century. The count's local representative, the Vicomte de Châtellerault was established as a hereditary appointment by the time of Airaud who was probably a kinsman of the counts of Auvergne and dukes of Aquitaine; his heirs were vicomtes (viscounts) until the mid-11th century.
The daughter of Aymeric I, Ænor of Châtellerault (ca 1103 - ca 1130), whose mother had been the "mistress" in the new courtly love poetry of the troubadour lord William, sixth Count of Poitiers and ninth Duke of Aquitaine, who lodged in his tower the "dangereuse de Châtellerault," married his son, William X of Aquitaine, and was mother of Eleanor of Aquitaine.
The title, Vicomte de Châtellerault, passed in turn to each of three great French noble families: La Rochefoucauld, Lusignan and, from the 13th century until the French Revolution, to the family of Harcourt.
However, in return for services offered to the Crowns of Scotland and France, the title of Duc de Châtellerault(1548) was presented to James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran, Chief of the Name, and regent of Scotland during Mary Queen of Scots and France's infancy. This title, though now without any benefices, is still in contention between the heir male and the heir general of Arran, respectively the Duke of Abercorn and the Duke of Hamilton. (see Chatelherault Country Park, Lanarkshire.)
[edit] Economy
From 1816 to 1968, Châtellerault was a center of sword and arms manufacture for the French government.
[edit] Miscellaneous
[edit] Births
Châtellerault was the birthplace of:
- Clément Janequin (c. 1485-1558), composer of the Renaissance.
- Bernard Panafieu (born 1931), archbishop of Marseille and Cardinal Priest of the Roman Catholic Church
[edit] Twinned towns
Châtellerault is twinned with:
Velbert, North Rhine-Westphalia (since 1965)
Kaya (since 1976)
Corby, Northamptonshire (since 1979)
Kent-Sud County (since 1984)
Castellón (since 1987)
Hamilton (since 1993)
Piła (since 1994)
[edit] Coat of arms
1°) D'argent, au lion de sable, lit. with the sand lion. (Malte-Brun, La France illustrée, volume V, 1884)
2°) D'argent, au lion de gueules, à la bordure de sable chargée de besants d'or, lit. with the lion of mouths, the sand border charged with the golden beasts. (Malte-Brun, la France illustrée, volume V, 1884)
The first blazon would be rendered into English as Argent, a lion sable. This means on a white/silver background, one sees a black lion, most likely rearing up with one of its hind legs off the "ground" as well(this posture is the standard depiction of an heraldic lion).
The English blazon of the second armory is Argent, a lion gules, and a bordure sable bezanty. This would have a white/silver background, a red lion rearing up, and enclosing the lion a black border with a number of small gold circles on that border.
[edit] External links
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