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Saint-Front-la-Rivière |
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Saint-Front-la-Rivière
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| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Aquitaine |
| Department | Dordogne |
| Arrondissement | Nontron |
| Canton | Saint-Pardoux-la-Rivière |
| Intercommunality | Périgord vert |
| Mayor | Francis Guinot (2008–2014) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 125–233 m (410–764 ft) (avg. 132 m/433 ft) |
| Land area1 | 17.89 km2 (6.91 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 530 (2008) |
| - Density | 30 /km2 (78 /sq mi) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 24410/ 24300 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Saint-Front-la-Rivière is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.
This pretty village has a twelfth-century church, a bar, petrol station, school and a post office. It also has 4 châteaux, medieval to nineteenth century. There are also the ruins of the Du Barry family château, dating to the time of François I. The Du Barrys were implicated in a plot to overthrow the monarch during the Wars of Religion.
Chazelles, one of St Front's surrounding hamlets was a mint in Gallo-Roman times, before the village came into being.
Contents |
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1793 | 920 | — |
| 1800 | 905 | −1.6% |
| 1806 | 898 | −0.8% |
| 1821 | 915 | +1.9% |
| 1831 | 997 | +9.0% |
| 1836 | 986 | −1.1% |
| 1841 | 980 | −0.6% |
| 1846 | 980 | +0.0% |
| 1851 | 1,015 | +3.6% |
| 1856 | 972 | −4.2% |
| 1861 | 964 | −0.8% |
| 1866 | 940 | −2.5% |
| 1872 | 930 | −1.1% |
| 1876 | 957 | +2.9% |
| 1881 | 975 | +1.9% |
| 1886 | 980 | +0.5% |
| 1891 | 945 | −3.6% |
| 1896 | 864 | −8.6% |
| 1901 | 837 | −3.1% |
| 1906 | 837 | +0.0% |
| 1911 | 809 | −3.3% |
| 1921 | 749 | −7.4% |
| 1926 | 775 | +3.5% |
| 1931 | 716 | −7.6% |
| 1936 | 671 | −6.3% |
| 1946 | 650 | −3.1% |
| 1954 | 674 | +3.7% |
| 1962 | 639 | −5.2% |
| 1968 | 570 | −10.8% |
| 1975 | 586 | +2.8% |
| 1982 | 541 | −7.7% |
| 1990 | 559 | +3.3% |
| 1999 | 543 | −2.9% |
| 2008 | 530 | −2.4% |
In the 19th century St Front had a good reputation for the quality of its wine. There remain a few private vineyards but no commercial activity. An important contributor to the village's growth was the steam tram linking Saint Front to Périgueux, the administrative capital of the Dordogne, to Brantôme and the railway at Saint-Pardoux-la-Rivière. Apart from agriculture, St Front was the manufacturing headquarters of an important picture frame manufacturer. The factory, which was the last big local employer, closed at the start of this century
The village is currently enjoying a small housing boom with many new-builds. The new owners are a mixture of locals and incomers from the Périgord but also British and Dutch. Village social life is driven by the bar, "Auberge de la Dronne", a few associations and the comité des fêtes. Each year there is a Loto day, Boules competition, a flea market with children's funfair, farmers' markets and a cycle race "Les Boucles de la Dronne". Guests in 2009 include veteran Tour de France champions and the race attracts many cycling pros.