Villars-en-Pons
| Villars-en-Pons | ||
|---|---|---|
|
||
| region | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | |
| Department | Charente-Maritime | |
| Arrondissement | Saintes | |
| Canton | Saintonge Estuaire | |
| Community association | Gémozac et la Saintonge Viticole | |
| Coordinates | 45 ° 36 ′ N , 0 ° 37 ′ W | |
| height | 23-57 m | |
| surface | 11.23 km 2 | |
| Residents | 566 (January 1, 2017) | |
| Population density | 50 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Post Code | 17260 | |
| INSEE code | 17469 | |
 Villars-en-Pons - town view |
||
Villars-en-Pons is a western commune with 566 inhabitants (at January 1, 2017) in the department of Charente-Maritime in the region Nouvelle-Aquitaine .
location
Villars-en-Pons is located in the old cultural landscape of the Saintonge about 18 kilometers (driving distance) south of Saintes and about 7.5 kilometers northwest of Pons . The main town of the community association, Gémozac , is about seven kilometers southwest.
Population development
| year | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2006 | 2016 |
| Residents | 451 | 421 | 391 | 387 | 451 | 532 | 565 |
In the 19th century the population was always between 500 and 600; after that, the phylloxera crisis in viticulture and the mechanization of agriculture caused a steady decline. Due to the relative proximity to the cities of Saintes and Pons and the comparatively low rental and land prices, the population of Villars-en-Pons has increased slightly again in recent years.
economy
Agriculture and viticulture have determined the economic life of the place for centuries, which also functioned as a craft, service and trading center for the small villages and farmsteads in the surrounding area. The soils of the municipality belong to the cultivation area of the Fins Bois of the Cognac wine-growing region , but cereals (wheat, maize) are also grown on many arable land. Since the 1980s, tourism (rental of holiday apartments) has been added as a source of income.
history
Little information is available on the history of Villars-en-Pons. However, the Romanesque church suggests that the place already existed in the Middle Ages. Whether the place was affected in the Hundred Years War (1337-1453) is not known, but some changes were made to the church in the 15th century. Nothing is known of attacks and destruction during the Huguenot Wars (1562–1598) or the French Revolution .
Attractions
See also: List of Monuments historiques in Villars-en-Pons
The parish church of Saint-Pallais is a 12th century building with a largely unadorned, but architecturally mature archivolt portal in the west façade, accompanied by two lateral blind arches , the architectural structure of which is very similar to that of the neighboring parish of Tesson . However, the church of Villars does not have a pronounced transept ; only a sacristy was added later on the south side of the crossing - it now serves as a chapel. The rectangular choir with its flat closed apse was renovated in the 15th century in Gothic style. The crossing tower with its bell-shaped storey looks rather squat; it can be reached via a staircase on the north side. The single nave nave of the church is barrel vaulted and has arched girders . Church construction has been recognized as a monument historique since 1984 .
literature
- Le Patrimoine des Communes de la Charente-Maritime. Flohic Editions, Volume 1, Paris 2002, ISBN 2-84234-129-5 , pp. 271-272.
Web links
- Villars-en-Pons, Église Saint-Pallais - Photos
- Villars-en-Pons, Église Saint-Pallais - aerial view, photo + brief information (French)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Église Saint-Pallais, Villars-en-Pons in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)