La Tour-Blanche

La Tour-Blanche
local community	La Tour-Blanche-Cercles
region	Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department	Dordogne
Arrondissement	Périgueux
Coordinates	45 ° 25 ' N , 0 ° 23' E Coordinates: 45 ° 25 ' N , 0 ° 23' E
Post Code	24320
Former INSEE code	24554
Incorporation	January 1, 2017
status	Commune déléguée
Website	La Tour-Blanche
	; La Tour-Blanche - castle ruins

La Tour Blanche ( Occitan La Tor BLANCHA ) is a town and commune Déléguée in the southwestern French municipality La Tour-Blanche-Cercles with 405 inhabitants (as of January 1 2017) in the southern French department of Dordogne in the region Nouvelle-Aquitaine (before 2016: Aquitaine ). The Commune déléguée consists of the main town and several hamlets (hameaux) and individual farms (fermes) .

Location and climate

The place La Tour-Blanche is a good 35 km (driving distance) northwest of Périgueux in the cultural landscape of the Périgord at an altitude of about 145 m . The climate is temperate to warm; Rain (approx. 900 mm / year) falls over the year.

Population development

year	1800	1851	1901	1954	1999	2015
Residents	421	535	513	480	460	406

The continuous decline in population since the late 19th century is mainly due to the phylloxera crisis in viticulture, the mechanization of agriculture and the abandonment of small farms.

economy

The community is still largely dominated by agriculture and forestry, whereby viticulture , which was important in earlier times, only plays a subordinate role. Small traders, craftsmen and service providers have settled in the village.

history

In the cave of Jovelle some prehistoric animal drawings were discovered. In the Middle Ages, La Tour Blanche was the seat of a castellany of the Perigord; since the 14th century it belonged to the Angoumois as an exclave . The Hundred Years War (1337–1453) brought with it numerous devastation, which was repeated during the Huguenot Wars (1562–1598). On January 1, 2017, La Tour-Blanche was merged with the municipality of Cercles with the status of a Commune déléguée to form the Commune nouvelle La Tour-Blanche-Cercles.

Attractions

Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul church from the 15th century, alterations from the 19th century
La Tour-Blanche castle ruins from the 12th century with the preserved donjon, monument historique since 1906

Jovelle castle ruins from the 13th / 14th centuries Century, Monument historique since 1948

Manor of Nanchapt from the 16th / 17th centuries Century, since 1948 Monument historique

Market hall

Pigeon tower

Windmill

Jovelle Cave with cave paintings, Monument historique since 2013