Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire
Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire | ||
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region | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | |
Department | Charente | |
Arrondissement | cognac | |
Canton | Charente Sud | |
Community association | 4B Sud Charente | |
Coordinates | 45 ° 28 ′ N , 0 ° 9 ′ W | |
height | 32-131 m | |
surface | 26.55 km 2 | |
Residents | 4,672 (January 1, 2017) | |
Population density | 176 inhabitants / km 2 | |
Post Code | 16300 | |
INSEE code | 16028 | |
Barbezieux - lock |
Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire is a western French municipality with 4672 inhabitants (at January 1, 2017) in the Charente in the region Nouvelle-Aquitaine . The place name Barbezieux comes from the Middle Latin berbecilliam (French: bergerie ; German: sheep farm); Medieval spellings of the place name are Berbezillum (1161), Berbecillum (1214), Berbezis (1302), Barbezil (1347), Barbezillum (1351) or Berbezieu (1428).
location
Barbezieux is at an altitude of 105 meters above sea level. d. M. about 34 kilometers (driving distance) southwest of Angoulême or about 33 kilometers southeast of Cognac in the southwest of the cultural landscape of the Angoumois on the border with Saintonge .
economy
In the Middle Ages, Barbezieu served the surrounding villages and hamlets as a market, handicraft and court venue. The area is still largely agricultural, with viticulture playing a leading role: The small town is located in the south of the Cognac wine-growing region and is part of the Petite Champagne region ; and the Pineau des Charentes , a kind of fortified wine , is produced here. The Barbezieux chicken breed ( poule de Barbezieux ) is known nationwide. In the commercial areas ( zones industrial ) outside the city have settled a number of small and medium-sized industrial companies (food packaging, furniture manufacturing, agricultural machinery).
Population development
The small town of Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire was created in 1973 by merging Barbezieux and Saint-Hilaire-de-Barbezieux.
year | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2007 | 2017 |
Residents | 5198 | 5103 | 4774 | 4819 | 4645 | 4672 |
history
Almost nothing has been published about the medieval history of Barbezieu and Saint-Hilaire. However, the existence of a castle is passed down from the 11th century. The Hundred Years War (1337-1453) probably did no damage; however, the Huguenot Wars (1562–1598) brought considerable damage - especially to the Saint-Mathias church. In the years 1800 to 1926 Barbezieu was sub-prefecture ( sous-préfecture ) of the Charente department.
Attractions
- From the medieval castle ( château ), which was built in the 2nd half of the 15th century but largely demolished in the 19th century , still comes the mighty gate with its round towers at the sides, which end at the top in a circumferential, slightly protruding battlement with mâchicoulis . You can tell from the windows that the castle was built at the turn of the ages between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance: Above the archway is a vaulted Gothic tracery window with a rectangular frame; the other rectangular windows (still without a cross window) already correspond to the newer type of the Renaissance. In the second half of the 19th century the annex buildings, which serve as a library, tourist office, etc., were built. The castle was classified as a monument historique in 1913 .
- The basic structure of the Saint-Mathias church dates from the 12th century; However, it has been supplemented and redesigned several times - the bell tower with its baptistery on the ground floor was added in the 15th century. During the Huguenot Wars, the church was badly damaged twice and its precious reliquary was robbed; it was not restored or reconstructed until the 17th century. The triangular gable above the facade and the neo-Romanesque apse date from the 19th century. The two - unfortunately already badly destroyed - figures on the tower represent the apostles Peter and Matthias ; the latter replaced Judas in the circle of the 12 apostles ( Acts 1,15-26 EU ). The late Romanesque archivolt portal contains representations of the signs of the zodiac and the monthly works . The width of the three-aisled, five-bay and groin-vaulted hall church is impressive (length 54.60 meters; width 23.42 meters). The 26 windows with their abstract motifs were made in the years 1969–1971 by the glass artist Georges Devêche from Limoges . The church was classified as a monument historique in 1948 . It is the third largest in the department, after the Angoulême Cathedral and the Saint-Léger Church in Cognac.
Personalities
- Sylvie Bailly (* 1960), soccer player
- Philippe Besson (* 1967), writer
- Jacques Chardonne (1884–1968), writer
- Bernadette Constantin (* 1963), soccer player
- François Deguelt (1932–2014), chanson singer
- Geneviève Fauconnier (1886–1969), writer
- Henri Fauconnier (1879–1973), writer
- Félix Gaillard (1919–1970), politician
- Renaud Lavillenie (* 1986), pole vaulter
- Valentin Lavillenie (* 1991), pole vaulter
Town twinning
- Wolfratshausen , Bavaria, Germany (since 1970)
- Vignola , Emilia-Romagna, Italy (since 1982)
- Chardonne , Canton of Vaud, Switzerland (since 1986)
literature
- Louis Cavrois: Barbezieus, son histoire et ses seigneurs ... 1869
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Château, Barbezieu in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
- ^ Église Saint Mathias, Barbezieu in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)