Saint-Romain-de-Benet

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Saint-Romain-de-Benet
Saint-Romain-de-Benet (France)
Saint-Romain-de-Benet
region Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department Charente-Maritime
Arrondissement Saintes
Canton Saujon
Community association Royan Atlantique
Coordinates 45 ° 42 ′  N , 0 ° 51 ′  W Coordinates: 45 ° 42 ′  N , 0 ° 51 ′  W
height 3–47 m
surface 32.78 km 2
Residents 1,712 (January 1, 2017)
Population density 52 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code 17600
INSEE code 17393

Saint-Romain-de-Benet - View of the town

Saint-Romain-de-Benet is a West commune with 1,712 inhabitants (at January 1, 2017) in the Charente-Maritime in the region Nouvelle-Aquitaine .

location

Saint-Romain-de-Benet is located in the old cultural landscape of the Saintonge about 21 kilometers (driving distance) southwest of Saintes and about 23 kilometers northeast of the Gironde estuary at Royan . The main town of the canton, Saujon , is only about 10 kilometers south-west; the neighboring municipality of Thézac is about 6 kilometers to the south-east.

Population development

year 1968 1975 1982 1990 1999 2007 2016
Residents 1130 1064 1157 1244 1374 1594 1701

Saint-Romain consistently had between 1,200 and 1,700 inhabitants in the first half of the 19th century. Due to the phylloxera crisis in viticulture and the mechanization of agriculture , the population decreased more and more from the second half of the 19th century until the low point of 1,040 inhabitants was reached in 1940.

economy

Agriculture and viticulture have determined the economic life of the place for centuries; Saint-Romain is one of the Bons Bois of the Cognac wine region . Since the 1980s, tourism (rental of holiday apartments) has been added as a source of income.

history

The history of Saint-Romain-de-Benet goes back at least to Roman times; the Roman road from Saintes ( Mediolanum Santonum ) to Barzan ( Novioregum ) passed the place. The sparse ruins of a Roman military camp ( camp de César ) can be seen near the site. In medieval times (9th / 10th century) there was a fortified mound ( motte ) with a residential tower ( donjon ).

Attractions

Saint Romain Church

See also: List of Monuments historiques in Saint-Romain-de-Benet

  • The single-nave former priory church of Saint-Romain originally dates from the 12th century. However, it burned down in medieval times and was only poorly repaired, so that it was on the verge of collapse in the 17th century and had to be repaired again. The tower was built in 1830 and the west facade was completely redesigned in 1883. The domes typical of some churches in southwest France only date from 1901. Despite the many additions and alterations, the building was recognized as a Monument historique in 1921 and makes - at least inside - a thoroughly homogeneous impression. The quite 'primitive' and original looking Romanesque capitals are noteworthy, but this is precisely why they develop a special charm.
Roman tower Tour de Pirelongue
  • About 500 meters south of the village, in the middle of the vineyards, stands the so-called Tour de Pirelongue , a more than 20 meters high, two-storey tower with a side length of about 6.20 meters, closed on all sides, which formerly ended in a conical tip. It is believed that it dates from Gallo-Roman times and was erected as a funerary monument; some also see a signal tower in the building, but the closed construction, the lack of stairs and the conical tip speak against it. The outside of the tower was formerly covered with relief stone or marble slabs, which were broken out later - probably by human hands. The building was recognized as a monument historique as early as 1840 - together with similar but significantly poorer preserved buildings in the area (cf. Authon-Ébéon ) .
  • The site of the Roman camp Camp de César is located on private property in the middle of a forest about one kilometer northwest of the Tour de Pirelongue . There is not much left to see of the medieval castle hill ( motte ) with its defensive and residential tower ( donjon ). Nevertheless, the site has been registered as a Monument historique since 1886 .

literature

  • Le Patrimoine des Communes de la Charente-Maritime. Flohic Editions, Volume 2, Paris 2002, ISBN 2-84234-129-5 , pp. 1059-1060.

Web links

Commons : Saint-Romain-de-Benet  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Église Saint-Romain, Saint-Romain-de-Benet in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
  2. ↑ Tour de Pirelonge, Saint-Romain-de-Benet in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
  3. ↑ Camp de César, Saint-Romain-de-Benet in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)