Berneuil (Charente-Maritime)

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Berneuil
Berneuil (France)
Berneuil
region Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department Charente-Maritime
Arrondissement Saintes
Canton Thénac
Community association Gémozac et la Saintonge Viticole
Coordinates 45 ° 39 ′  N , 0 ° 36 ′  W Coordinates: 45 ° 39 ′  N , 0 ° 36 ′  W
height 5-72 m
surface 25.45 km 2
Residents 1,146 (January 1, 2017)
Population density 45 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code 17460
INSEE code 17044

Berneuil - town view with church tower (south side)

Berneuil is a western French municipality with 1146 inhabitants (at January 1, 2017) in the Charente-Maritime in the region Nouvelle-Aquitaine .

location

Berneuil is about 60 meters above sea level. d. M. and about halfway between Saintes (approx. 13 kilometers north) and the canton capital Pons (approx. 10 kilometers southeast) in the cultural landscape of the Saintonge . Other places with impressive Romanesque churches are only a few kilometers away: Pérignac , Bougneau , Échebrune , Avy , Chadenac , Biron , Marignac u. a.

Population development

year 1968 1975 1982 1990 1999 2006 2016
Residents 636 595 669 732 832 926 1144

At the first census in France in 1793, Berneuil had a population of over 1,400. Towards the end of the 19th century, many residents emigrated because of the phylloxera crisis . The population increase in recent decades is largely due to the low land prices compared to the neighboring cities of Saintes and Pons and the resulting immigration.

economy

Mainly agricultural goods are produced (grain, wine and cattle). Viticulture was greatly reduced in the second half of the 19th century due to the infestation of the vines by phylloxera . Nevertheless, the place belongs to the Fins Bois of the wine region Cognac . Tourism too, i. H. primarily the rental of holiday homes ( gîtes ) plays a certain role in the economic life of the municipality.

history

Berneuil is located in an area steeped in history with traces of the Neolithic, Roman and Gallo-Roman times. It is located in the catchment area of ​​an old Roman road ( Via Agrippa ), which once connected Bordeaux ( Burtigala ) with Saintes ( Mediolanum Santonum ) and of which remains are still preserved, and on the medieval Via Turonensis in the network of the Way of St. James to Santiago de Compostela .

Attractions

See also: List of Monuments historiques in Berneuil (Charente-Maritime)

German war cemetery

Notre-Dame-de-l´Assomption church

Notre-Dame Church (west side)
  • The Church of Notre-Dame-de-l´Assomption with its unusually high crossing tower makes - at first glance - a comparatively poorly structured and unadorned impression for a church building in Saintonge - on closer inspection, however, one discovers on the south and east side of the The remains of the Vierungsturm wall give an idea of ​​what was once an exceptionally beautiful and high tower. Indeed - the Romanesque church of the 12th century must have been badly damaged in the Huguenot Wars (1562–1598) and was poorly and tastelessly restored sometime in the 17th century. The same applies to the west facade - here only the tympanum-free west portal shows a decor on the front of the archivolt arch that was restored in the 19th century . The interior of the nave, plastered white and provided with a wooden roof, is divided into three bays; while the south wall is structured with large blind arcades, the wall on the north side is a product of reconstruction. The church building has been classified as a monument historique since 1907 . Human remains have been found in the crypt , presumably from those who died in the battle between the troops of the Prince of Condé ( Fronde ) and the King of France in 1652 near Berneuil.

Others

  • The surroundings, made up of a mixture of (wine) fields and forest, are ideal for walks and hikes. Some winemakers also offer wine and cognac tastings ( dégustations ) on request .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Église Notre-Dame, Berneuil in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)

literature

  • Le Patrimoine des Communes de la Charente-Maritime. Flohic Editions, Volume 1, Paris 2002, ISBN 2-84234-129-5 , pp. 241-242.

Web links

Commons : Berneuil  - collection of images, videos and audio files