Bouëx

Bouëx
region	Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department	Charente
Arrondissement	Angoulême
Canton	Boëme-Échelle
Community association	Grand Angoulême
Coordinates	45 ° 37 ′  N , 0 ° 19 ′  E Coordinates: 45 ° 37 ′  N , 0 ° 19 ′  E
height	71-191 m
surface	15.64 km 2
Residents	892 (January 1, 2017)
Population density	57 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code	16410
INSEE code	16055
Bouëx - church and castle

Bouëx is a municipality with 892 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) in the Charente department in western France in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region .

location

The municipality of Bouëx is about 140 meters above sea level. d. About 17 kilometers (driving distance) south-east of Angoulême in the old cultural landscape of the Angoumois . The river Échelle flows through the municipality.

Population development

year	1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2006	2016
Residents	469	441	533	639	747	808	887	902

In the 19th century the community had mostly between 700 and 900 inhabitants; As a result of the phylloxera crisis in viticulture and the mechanization of agriculture , the number of inhabitants fell continuously from around 1880 to the lows in the 1950s and 1960s. Due to the proximity to Angoulême and the significantly lower property prices in the country, the population has increased again in recent decades.

economy

For centuries, the inhabitants of the community lived on the principles of self-sufficiency from agriculture; Market towns were too far away. The soils of the municipality still belong to the Bons Bois of the Cognac wine-growing region , but sales of expensive brandies and even wine have tended to decline in recent decades, so that viticulture no longer plays a role. Income from tourism, in particular the rental of holiday apartments ( gîtes ), has become much more important since the 1960s.

history

A family of the landlords ( seigneurs ) of Boueix has been handed down from medieval times.

Attractions

Wash house ( lavoir )

• The originally Romanesque parish church of Saint-Étienne dates back to the 12th century and was the former castle chapel ; however, it has been restored several times over the years. The rib-vaulted Gothic apse is interesting ; the small bell tower dates from the 17th century.
• The Château de Boueix is in the center of the village; it is a two-winged building from the 15th and 17th / 18th centuries. Century and consists only of a plastered ground floor and a converted attic with porthole windows . A square watchtower stands a little to one side. The privately owned building complex has been recognized as a Monument historique since 2009 .
• Also in the center of the village there is an uncovered washing area ( lavoir ) from the 19th century.

Web links

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

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Château, Bouëx in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)