Chirac (Charente)
| Chirac | ||
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| region | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | |
| Department | Charente | |
| Arrondissement | Confolens | |
| Canton | Charente-Vienne | |
| Community association | Charente limousine | |
| Coordinates | 45 ° 55 ' N , 0 ° 39' E | |
| height | 133-263 m | |
| surface | 34.33 km 2 | |
| Residents | 751 (January 1, 2017) | |
| Population density | 22 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Post Code | 16150 | |
| INSEE code | 16100 | |
 Townscape with Saint-Pierre church |
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Chirac is a place and a community with 751 inhabitants (at January 1, 2017) in western France Charente in the region Nouvelle-Aquitaine . The municipality also includes several hamlets (hamlets) and farmsteads .
location
The place Chirac is at an altitude of about 170 m above sea level. d. M. in the northeast of the Charente department in the old cultural landscape of the Angoumois , part of the Charente landscape . The place is located near the border with the Limousin and is only about 55 km (driving distance) from the city of Limoges , whereas the city of Angoulême is about 60 km southwest.
Population development
| year | 1800 | 1851 | 1901 | 1954 | 1999 | 2013 |
| Residents | 1,209 | 1,433 | 1,141 | 706 | 732 | 753 |
The continuous decline in population since the late 19th century is mainly due to the loss of jobs as a result of the phylloxera crisis in viticulture and the increasing mechanization of agriculture .
economy
The place and its surroundings were dominated by agriculture for centuries; most people lived on a self-sufficient basis . In the late Middle Ages and early modern times, viticulture was promoted, but - after the phylloxera crisis in the late 19th and early 20th centuries - was almost stopped. In the 19th century, smaller blast furnaces for iron production were built in the wooded area. Since the 1960s tourism has played a not insignificant role in the economic life of the municipality in the form of renting out holiday homes ( gîtes ) .
history
Little is known about the history of the place. The area, which formerly belonged to the historical province of the Limousin , was annexed by the Counts of Angoulême in the 11th or 12th century . The church, built in the 13th century, seems to have belonged to a priory .
Attractions
- The single-nave parish church of Saint-Pierre is an imposing 13th century building with a squat crossing tower and a representative portal on the north side. While the west facade is unadorned, there are three slender windows in the rear wall of the flat apse . The barrel-vaulted nave hides a carved altarpiece from the 17th century depicting the miraculous liberation of the Apostle Peter from prison. The latter has been recognized as a Monument historique since 1941 .
- The stone cemetery chapel (chapelle cimetière) dates from the 14th century and is painted inside. It has been recognized as a monument historique since 1977 .
outside
- The Château de l'Age , located about one kilometer northeast of the village, was built in the 16th century. The residential wing ( corps de logis ) is framed by two lateral round towers . Both the castle buildings and the remains of the iron smelter built on the site in the 19th century are listed as historical monuments .
- A stone bridge spans the Vienne towards the neighboring municipality of Manot .
Others
Chirac is also the name of a produced in the region raw milk - goat cheese .
Web links
- Chirac, church - photos + information (French)
- Chirac, Château de l'Age - Photos + information (French)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Chirac - Viticulture
- ^ Retable, Chirac in the Base Palissy of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
- ↑ Chapelle du cimetière, Chirac in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
- ↑ Château, haut fourneau, affinerie, laminoir dite forge de l'Age, Chirac in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)