Canton of Périgord Vert Nontronnais

Canton of Périgord Vert Nontronnais
region	Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department	Dordogne
Arrondissement	Nontron
main place	Nontron
Residents	15,185 (Jan. 1, 2017)
Population density	27 inhabitants / km²
surface	560.25 km²
Communities	28
INSEE code	2413
Location of the canton of Périgord Vert Nontronnais in the Dordogne department

The Canton Périgord Vert Nontronnais is a French canton in the Arrondissement Nontron in the Dordogne and in the region Nouvelle-Aquitaine ; its main town is Nontron , its representatives in the General Council of the Département since 2015 are Pascal Bourdeau and Juliette Nevers, both of whom belong to the PS . The canton was created in March 2015 by merging the former cantons of Nontron and Bussière-Badil and five municipalities of the former canton of Saint-Pardoux-la-Rivière .

Emergence

The canton of Périgord Vert Nontronnais emerged from the 2014 territorial reform , which in turn is based on the decree of February 21, 2014. The reform came into force with the departmental elections in March 2015.

geography

The canton Périgord Vert Nontronnais is a border canton to the Charente and Haute-Vienne departments . Its organizational centers are the sub-prefectural town of Nontron and the commune of Saint-Pardoux-la-Rivière , both of which belong to the Arrondissement of Nontron. It is surrounded by the following five cantons:

Canton Val de Tardoire ( Charente department )	Canton of Charente-Bonnieure ( Charente department )	Canton of Rochechouart ( Haute-Vienne Department )
		Canton of Thiviers
Canton of Brantôme

Its topographical heights vary between its lowest point at 115 meters on the Bandiat in the municipality of Varaignes and its highest point at 370 meters in the municipality of Saint-Saud-Lacoussière . The absolute height difference is 255 meters.

Communities

The canton consists of 28 municipalities with a total of 15,185 inhabitants (as of 2017) on a total area of ​​560.25 km ² :

local community	Residents January 1, 2017	Area km²	Density of population / km²	Code INSEE	Post Code
Abjat-sur-Bandiat	620	27.62	22nd	24001	24300
Augignac	814	22.64	36	24016	24300
Busserolles	503	32.46	15th	24070	24360
Bussière-Badil	391	19.86	20th	24071	24360
Champniers-et-Reilhac	455	20.40	22nd	24100	24360
Champs-Romain	286	20.33	14th	24101	24470
Connezac	74	5.78	13	24131	24300
Etouars	155	7.83	20th	24163	24360
Hautefaye	136	12.47	11	24209	24300
Javerlhac-et-la-Chapelle-Saint-Robert	846	29.25	29	24214	24300
Le Bourdeix	226	11.69	19th	24056	24300
Lussas-et-Nontronneau	300	22.35	13	24248	24300
Milhac-de-Nontron	505	34.75	15th	24271	24470
Nontron	3,050	24.67	124	24311	24300
Piégut-Pluviers	1.166	18.11	64	24328	24360
Saint-Barthélemy-de-Bussière	214	15.01	14th	24381	24360
Saint-Estèphe	613	21.37	29	24398	24360
Saint-Front-la-Rivière	518	17.89	29	24410	24300
Saint-Front-sur-Nizonne	157	13.05	12	24411	24300
Saint-Martial-de-Valette	789	15.71	50	24451	24300
Saint-Martin-le-Pin	271	15.54	17th	24458	24300
Saint-Pardoux-la-Rivière	1,179	23.84	49	24479	24470
Saint-Saud-Lacoussière	832	58.04	14th	24498	24470
Savignac-de-Nontron	191	9.69	20th	24525	24300
Sceau-Saint-Angel	124	17.49	7th	24528	24300
Soudat	92	8.82	10	24541	24360
Teyjat	275	16.99	16	24548	24300
Varaignes	403	16.60	24	24565	24360
Canton of Périgord Vert Nontronnais	15,185	560.25	27	2413	-

The population density in the canton is 27 inhabitants / km².

The population in the canton is clearly concentrated in the municipality of Nontron, which also has the highest population density, and its neighboring municipality of Saint-Martial-de-Valette . Secondary centers are Piégut-Pluviers and Saint-Pardoux-la-Rivière. The population densities vary between extremely sparsely populated rural communities such as Sceau-Saint-Angel with 7 inhabitants / km² and the town of Nontron with 140 inhabitants / km². The largest municipality in terms of area with 58.04 square kilometers is Saint-Saud-Lacoussière , the smallest Connezac with only 5.78 square kilometers.

Hydrography

The canton is drained by the following rivers :

• Tardoire (border river to the Charente department) with its left tributaries Bandiat and Trieux . The drainage generally takes place to the west towards Charente
• Dronne , drainage generally to the south-southwest.

geology

Nontron and the Valley of the Bandiats, looking northeast

Geologically, the canton of Périgord Vert Nontronnais can be divided into two parts. The larger northeast part still belongs to the Variscan basement of the Massif Central , the southwest part is underlain by generally flat to slightly south-southwest dipping, Mesozoic sediments of the northeast Aquitaine basin , which transgressed at the beginning of the Jura . The basement forms a shallow slab sloping slightly to the south-west, which is raised somewhat compared to the basin sediments, mostly along a peripheral fault and on average has higher altitudes. It is built from the Saint-Mathieu-Dom , consisting of mica schists , various paragneiss as well as the Saint-Mathieu leuco granite and the Piégut-Pluviers granodiorite .

The sediments consist of lias (arkoses, dolomites, slate clays, oolite limestone and micrite), which is often silicified in the area of ​​the marginal fault, fossil limes of the Great Dane , which can be recrystallized, and transgressive, fossil-bearing Upper Cretaceous ( Cenomanium to Coniacium ).

The marginal fault is often accompanied by detritic, ferrous Sidérolithique from the Eocene . Pleistocene colluvium (gravel and gravel of fluvial origin) covers the basement relatively thinly in places, but can grow into thicker enveloping sediments in the sedimentary basin. Alluvial gravel terraces from the Riss and Würm glaciers can be found in the valley of the Dronne and the Bandiats.

Mention of known minerals are minerals barite , galena ( galena ), cassiterite , Scheelite , Sphalerite ( zinc blende ), the uranium minerals Autunit and Torbernit ( chalcolite ) as well as iron ore , manganese ore and kaolin . Lesser known minerals are pyromorphite and nontronite .

ecology

Natural park

The canton of Périgord Vert Nontronnais is an integral part of the Périgord-Limousin Regional Natural Park .

Protected areas

An ecological protection zone ( French ZNIEFF - Zone naturelle d'intérêt écologique, faunistique et floristique ) is located in the valley of the Queue d'Ane in the municipality of Saint-Saud-Lacoussière (ZNIEFF type 1, protection zone number 27100000). The lowlands of the Bandiat and its right tributaries such as the Doue and Ruisseau de Varaignes are also designated as protected areas under the name Vallées du réseau hydrographique du Bandiat . The course of the Trieux - a right branch of the Tardoire - is also under protection.

Between the hamlets of Pombol and Chazelle in the municipality of Saint-Front-la-Rivière , the wet meadows along the Dronne have been recognized as an ecotope (ZNIEFF). The area stretches for 4 kilometers and is 115 hectares in total. It has a very interesting flora.

history

The Fixard menhir

Human settlement in the canton of Périgord Vert Nontronnais can be traced back to at least 10,000 BC. Traced back to the Neolithic (late Magdalenian ). Possible older traces from the Paleolithic come from Aux Roches in the municipality of Varaignes . Neolithic examples are the famous Teyjat cave and the nearby Abri Mège . In the cave of Teyjat there are fine, very realistic incised drawings of around 40 figures, distributed over 6 sections, including horn-bearers (bison, deer, reindeer, cattle). Other Neolithic finds come from Piogeat near Milhac-de-Nontron . Traces can also be found at the Butte du Collège in Piégut-Pluviers as well as in Soudat and Saint-Barthélemy-de-Bussière .

Remains of the dolmen of Veaubrunet near Teyjat and of Saint-Barthélemy-de-Bussière, a tumulus near Coudert-Ferry (Milhac-de-Nontron) and the menhir of Fixard in the municipality of Saint-Estèphe have been preserved from the megalithic period .

Remnants of the Iron Age wall can be seen at Puygaud and Maine du Bos in the municipality of Piégut-Pluviers.

The Romans also left some traces. Worth mentioning are a villa complex from the 1st century in the municipality of Lussas-et-Nontronneau ( Chez Vayssière ), another villa near Les Petits Bois in Bussière-Badil and the castrum of Nontron with remains of road near Poperdu and La Roderie de Bord . Remains of a Roman road and a forge can also be found at Chez Noyer ( Piégut-Pluviers ) and the remains of an oppidum , a villa and a forge can be found near Villechalanne and La Courarie ( Saint-Barthélemy-de-Bussière ).

Romanesque church of La-Chapelle-Saint-Robert

In the Middle Ages , Romanesque churches were built in most parishes , which can be visited, for example, in

• Abjat-sur-Bandiat - Saint-André church, 12th century, modified in the 16th century and later
• Augignac - Saint-Martial church from the 12th century, restored in the 19th century
• Busserolles - Saint-Martial , 12th century
• Bussière-Badil - Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativité . The church dates from the 12th century and was part of the Benedictine abbey.
• Champniers-et-Reilhac - 12th century churches in both Champniers and Reilhac ( St-Paul )
• Hautefaye
• Javerlhac - 12th century
• La-Chapelle-Saint-Robert - 12th century
• Le Bourdeix - with a round defense tower from the 12th century, changed in the 15th century
• Lussas - Church of St. Etienne, 12th century
• Lussas-et-Nontronneau - Fontroubade , Cistercian chapel , 12th century; destroyed
• Milhac-de-Nontron - the Templar Church of Saint-Martin, 12th century
• Saint-Estèphe - greatly modified in the 15th century and later
• Saint-Front-sur-Nizonne - 12th century
• Saint-Martial-de-Valette - 12th century
• Saint-Martin-le-Pin - 12th century
• Saint-Saud - 12th century
• Saint-Angel - changed in the 18th century; Gothic chapel at La Pouyade
• Varaignes - 12th century

The Romanesque origin of the churches in Étouars, Pluviers and Soudat can no longer be recognized due to later renovation work.

The Chantres Chapel

Some priories have also been partially preserved, including:

• Bussière-Badil - the Benedictines founded a priory in 768. A Benedictine abbey was first mentioned in 1088 at the same place.
• La-Chapelle-Saint-Robert - Remains of a former Benedictine priory from the 10th century
• Saint-Estèphe - ruins of the Badeix Grammontenser priory from the 12th century
• Milhac-de-Nontron - Cistercian Priory Saint-Blaise in Chantres . What remains is the Romanesque chapel from the 12th century.
• The Cistercians also founded an abbey in 1163, the Peyrouse monastery in the parish of Saint-Saud-Lacoussière .
• The former monastery in Saint-Pardoux-la-Rivière dates back to the 13th century, but the membership of the order is not clear.

Castle of Connezac

Among the secular buildings (castles, palaces and mansions) are to be mentioned:

• Abjat-sur-Bandiat - Château de Grospuy from the 13th century
• Augignac - Leygurat Castle from the 13th century
• Bussière-Badil - a fortified castle from the 11th century, the donjon of which can still be seen
• Connezac - 16th century and 17th century castle
• Javerlhac - 16th century castle
• Lussas-et-Nontronneau - Beauvais Castle from the 16th century
• Milhac-de-Nontron - the La Glaudie manor from the 15th century; with a chapel from the 12th century. The 16th century Magnac manor
• Piégut-Pluviers - the fortress was in 1199 on the orders of Richard the Lionheart destroyed
• Saint-Estèphe - Castle ruins near Le Briodet and Le Brieudet from the 13th and 15th centuries
• Saint-Front-la-Rivière - the castle ruins of Château de la Renaudie and Château Saulnier from the 13th century, as well as the Château de Pommier from the 15th century
• Saint-Front-sur-Nizonne - Bagatelle Castle , partly from the 17th century, located on a former Roman road
• Saint-Martial-de-Valette - Puyfaiteau Castle and Montcheuil Castle
• Saint-Saud-Lacoussière - 12th century castle; was destroyed in the Hundred Years War
• Sceau-Saint-Angel - L'Age Castle (or location ), ruins from the 15th century

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Decree of February 21, 2014 on the reorganization of the cantons in the Dordogne department on the "Légifrance" website