Talmont-sur-Gironde
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Commune of Talmont-sur-Gironde Image:Talmont.jpg St Radegonde Church in Talmont |
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| Location | |
| Longitude | 00°54'24" W |
| Latitude | 45°32'10" N |
| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Poitou-Charentes |
| Department | Charente-Maritime |
| Arrondissement | Saintes |
| Canton | Cozes |
| Intercommunality | Communauté d'agglomération du Pays Royannais |
| Statistics | |
| Altitude | 0 m–24 m |
| Land area¹ | 4.44 km² |
| Population² (1999) |
83 |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 17437/ 17120 |
| ¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 mi² 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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Talmont-sur-Gironde is a French commune in the Charente-Maritime département and the Poitou-Charentes région.
Contents |
[edit] Geography
The village lies about 15 km south of Royan, on a small promontory which dominates the Gironde Estuary. It appears to be ‘perched’ on this rocky outcrop, in the way that it occupies every millimetre of space. Tiny beaches can be found, at the base of the fortifications, which mostly are sheer from the sea. Inland there is marshy country and a small waterway runs alongside the South wall of the village.
[edit] Sights
The village has received the accolade of The Most Beautiful Villages in France.
The village is known for its show of hollyhocks, which intrude on the tiny pedestrian-only streets between the small houses.
[edit] The church
The church of St Radegonde was built in 1094. The structure appears quite 'squat' and is Romanesque in character. The church was a resting place for the Pilgrimage of Saint James of Compostela on the via Turonensis, because the pilgrims crossed the Gironde at this spot (Voie de Soulac Littoral Aquitain).
[edit] History
The enclosed and fortified village was founded around the church, in 1284, according to the plans of the ancient bastides, on the orders of Edward I of England. In the 16th Century, during the wars which divided England and France, Talmont became a strategic stake. In 1652, the village was destroyed by the Spanish.
[edit] Famous people
- Louis II de la Trémoille, prince of Talmont.
[edit] Reference
- This article is based on a translation of an article from the French Wikipedia.
[edit] External links
- Voie de Soulac (in French)
- Via Turonensis (in French)
- The pilgrimage of St James of Compostela (in French)
- Saint Radegonde (in French)
