Saint-Léger (Charente-Maritime)

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Saint-Léger
Saint-Léger (France)
Saint-Léger
region Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department Charente-Maritime
Arrondissement Jonzac
Canton Pons
Community association Haute-Saintonge
Coordinates 45 ° 37 ′  N , 0 ° 35 ′  W Coordinates: 45 ° 37 ′  N , 0 ° 35 ′  W
height 7-67 m
surface 15.88 km 2
Residents 632 (January 1, 2017)
Population density 40 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code 17800
INSEE code 17354

Saint-Léger - Saint-Léger Church

Saint-Léger (also Saint-Léger-en-Pons ) is a southwestern French community with 632 inhabitants (at January 1, 2017) in the Charente-Maritime in the region Nouvelle-Aquitaine .

location

Saint-Léger lies at an altitude of about 50 meters above sea level. d. About 17 kilometers (driving distance) south of Saintes or seven kilometers north of Pons in the cultural landscape of the Saintonge . Other places with impressive Romanesque churches are just a few kilometers away: Biron , Bougneau , Échebrune , Chadenac , Avy , Marignac u. a.

Population development

year 1962 1968 1975 1982 1990 1999 2007 2016
Residents 402 402 375 402 461 465 551 628

In the 19th century the place had between 600 and 850 inhabitants, but due to the phylloxera crisis and the loss of jobs as a result of the increasing mechanization of agriculture , the number of inhabitants steadily declined. Due to the proximity to the cities of Saintes and Pons and the significantly lower property prices in the countryside, an increase in the population has been observed again in recent decades.

economy

Agriculture (grain and wine) still plays the major role in the economic life of the commune, which is part of the Fins Bois vineyards in the Cognac region. Forestry is also not insignificant. In addition, tourism in the form of renting holiday apartments ( gîtes ) has also become an important factor in the municipality's economic life.

Apse with window
North side of the church

history

As can be deduced from the existence of a Romanesque church, Saint-Léger was also settled in the Middle Ages.

Attractions

See also: List of Monuments historiques in Saint-Léger (Charente-Maritime)

The most important attraction of Saint-Léger is the defensive-looking partly Romanesque , partly Gothic parish church of Saint-Léger . The portal zone of the west facade is designed according to the triumphal arch scheme common in Charente with small side blind portals ; it closes at the top in a console frieze . The central window of the five-arched arcade zone above is comparatively large and, in view of the extremely narrow loopholes-like side windows, served to illuminate the interior; the arches rest on pilasters and set columns . The arcade zone also closes with a console frieze; the gable above is unadorned. While the southern outer wall appears bare and forbidding, the north side is loosened up by high blind arches and consoles below the eaves . The eastern parts of the church were redesigned in the 15th century - possibly to repair damage or destruction during the Hundred Years War (1337–1453): The building received a flat apse with a large Gothic tracery window and a defensive-looking tower on the north side; In addition, the entire component was reinforced with mighty buttresses . The church building was recognized as a monument historique in 1931 .

literature

  • Le Patrimoine des Communes de la Charente-Maritime. Flohic Editions, Volume 2, Paris 2002, ISBN 2-84234-129-5 , pp. 610-611.

Web links

Commons : Saint-Léger  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Église Saint-Léger, Saint-Léger in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)