Soulignonne

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Soulignonne
Soulignonne (France)
Soulignonne
region Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department Charente-Maritime
Arrondissement Saintes
Canton Saint-Porchaire
Community association Charente-Arnoult-Cœur de Saintonge
Coordinates 45 ° 47 ′  N , 0 ° 47 ′  W Coordinates: 45 ° 47 ′  N , 0 ° 47 ′  W
height 15-60 m
surface 14.31 km 2
Residents 701 (January 1, 2017)
Population density 49 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code 17250
INSEE code 17431

Soulignonne - the townscape with the Sainte-Geneviève church

Soulignonne is a western commune with 701 inhabitants (at January 1, 2017) in the department of Charente-Maritime in the region Nouvelle-Aquitaine .

location

Soulignonne is about 30 meters above sea level. d. M. on the Arnoult river in the historic cultural landscape of the Saintonge about 15 kilometers (driving distance) northwest of Saintes and 30 kilometers southeast of Rochefort .

Population development

year 1962 1968 1975 1982 1990 1999 2006 2016
Residents 548 509 483 457 494 544 670 716

In the 19th century the place always had between 600 and 780 inhabitants. The phylloxera crisis and the mechanization of agriculture led to a population decline, which has been stopped in the last few decades due to the proximity to the large cities of Saintes and Rochefort and the comparatively low rents and land prices in Soulignonne.

economy

For centuries, agriculture for the self-sufficiency of the population played the largest role in the economic life of the community. But wine has been grown in the area since Roman times, which has been distilled since early modern times and exported to northern Europe (especially to England ). Soulignonne belongs to the Bois ordinaires et communs of the Cognac wine-growing region , but most of the grapes are processed into wine and Pineau des Charentes due to sales problems with Cognac brandies . Many farmers have returned to 'normal' agriculture.

history

Little information is available about the history of the place. However, the presence of an early Romanesque church suggests that the place was settled at least since the Middle Ages. In the 14th century a landlord by the name of Guillaume de Ransanne is known; one of his descendants had the castle ( château ) built in the 15th century and in 1518 a certain Andrée de Ransanne thanked the then King Francis I for his trust.

Attractions

Church Sainte-Geneviève

See also: List of the Monuments historiques in Soulignonne

  • The Romanesque parish church of Sainte-Geneviève from the 12th century has one of the most beautiful west portals in this part of the Saintonge, which was, however, restored due to damage during the revolutionary years in the 19th century: it is a perfectly crafted archivolt portal with restrained decor; The capitals of the inserted columns are also largely unadorned. The original choir and apse of the church are preserved. The southern transept still shows quarry stone masonry and could therefore also come from this period, if a small Gothic window did not indicate a later construction period. The crossing tower, which is rectangular in plan, is certainly from a later period; its block-like shape and the completely windowless and decor-free exterior walls suggest a defensive tower . The interior of the single-nave church building is barrel vaulted , whereby the vault push has already ensured a slight incline of the outer walls. The crossing area shows a significantly better stone work, a rib vault and a Gothic choir arch . Church construction has been recognized as a monument historique since 1996 .
  • The Château de Ransanne , located outside Soulignonne, is a building from around 1500 with minor changes from the 18th century. The windows close in a straight line at the top and have a window cross , which was modern at the time. The towering roofs contribute a lot to the representative overall impression of the building. A pigeon house from the 16th century also belongs to the property . The castle is privately owned and cannot be visited; it was recognized as a Monument historique in 1991 .

literature

  • Le Patrimoine des Communes de la Charente-Maritime. Flohic Editions, Volume 2, Paris 2002, ISBN 2-84234-129-5 , pp. 952-953.

Web links

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

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Église, Sainte-Radegonde in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
  2. ↑ Château de Ransanne, Soulignonne in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)