Cravans

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cravans
Cravans coat of arms
Cravans (France)
Cravans
region Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department Charente-Maritime
Arrondissement Saintes
Canton Saintonge Estuaire
Community association Gémozac et la Saintonge Viticole
Coordinates 45 ° 37 ′  N , 0 ° 43 ′  W Coordinates: 45 ° 37 ′  N , 0 ° 43 ′  W
height 17-53 m
surface 14.72 km 2
Residents 872 (January 1, 2017)
Population density 59 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code 17260
INSEE code 17133

Cravan - Saint-Pierre Church

Cravans is a West commune with 872 inhabitants (at January 1, 2017) in the Charente-Maritime in the region Nouvelle-Aquitaine .

location

Cravans is located in the old cultural landscape of the Saintonge about 20 kilometers (driving distance) southwest of Saintes and about 15 kilometers west of Pons . The towns of Rioux and Rétaud, which are worth seeing for their Romanesque churches , are five and ten kilometers to the north, respectively.

Population development

year 1968 1975 1982 1990 1999 2006 2016
Residents 503 509 493 526 521 677 854

At the first French census in 1793, Cravan had 921 inhabitants. Until the middle of the 19th century, the population was always around 800; after that, the phylloxera crisis in viticulture caused a decline. Due to the relative proximity to the cities of Saintes and Pons and the comparatively low rental and property prices, the population of Cravans has increased slightly again in recent years.

economy

Agriculture and viticulture have determined the economic life of the place for centuries, which also functioned as a trade, craft and service center for the hamlets and individual farms in the surrounding area. The soils of the municipality belong to the Bons Bois cultivation area of ​​the Cognac wine-growing region , but cereals (wheat, maize) are also grown on many arable land. Since the 1980s, tourism (rental of holiday apartments) has been added as a source of income.

history

Little information is available on the history of Cravans. However, the church suggests that the place already existed in the Middle Ages. It is not known whether the place was affected in the Hundred Years War (1337-1453). However, we do know about the destruction during the Huguenot Wars (1562–1598).

Attractions

Cravans Church
Fontaine du Jardin Public

See also: List of Monuments historiques in Cravans

  • The simple late Romanesque or early Gothic village church of Saint-Pierre is the most important attraction of the place. It was built in the 13th and 14th centuries, but it was badly damaged in the Huguenot Wars. In an extension in the 18th century, two narrow side aisles separated by simple pillars were added; the central nave was given a simple barrel vault . Only the squat-looking south tower and the choir section with its flat end and its pointed barrel vault have largely been preserved.
  • The cross standing about 300 meters east of the church at a crossroads on a pedestal with a rising fluted column and an Ionic capital is regarded as the so-called Hosanna cross .
  • Another wayside cross ( Croix Notre-Dame ) dates from 1858 and replaces an older cross that was destroyed during the French Revolution .
  • On the outskirts there is an uncovered washbasin ( lavoir ) from the 18th century at a source ( Fontaine du Jardin Public ) , in which originally mainly flax fibers and fabrics were cleaned.
  • The Domaine de Beaumont is a formerly fortified manor from the 15th or 16th century that is privately owned. A round corner tower and the ruins of a dovecote ( colombiers ) have been preserved from the original building .

Personalities

  • Arthur Cravan (1887 - last seen in November 1918), Dadaist, who was actually called Fabian Avenarius Lloyd , chose the place name as part of his artist name.

literature

  • Le Patrimoine des Communes de la Charente-Maritime. Flohic Editions, Volume 1, Paris 2002, ISBN 2-84234-129-5 , pp. 243-245.

Web links

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