Ambérac
Encyclopedia
Ambérac is a commune
in the Charente
département, region
of Poitou-Charentes
region
in southwestern France. An individual from Ambérac is known as Ambéracois.
of the rivers Aume and Charente. It is 24 kilometers to the north of Angoulême, six kilometers southwest of the commune of Aigre
, and eight kilometers northwest of Saint-Amant-de-Boixe
. The village sits on the bank of the Charente, lying upstream of Angoulême and downstream of Mansle
.
; the D.88, linking the town to Aigre and Xambes; and the D.737, providing a route to Angoulême and Chef-Boutonne
.
. Destinations served include Angoulême, Poitiers, and Bourdeaux, and service is provided by Transport express régional.
wearing a winged petasos
, stone slabs engraved with oculi
, a square well, and coins from the eras of Augustus, Agrippa, Marcus Aurelius, and Maximin. Other lesser artifacts attesting to the presence of settlers from these periods have also been discovered, including earthenware, iron implements, and fragments of a mosaic. In a nearby location, known as 'La Tour-des-Fades, the remains of an ancient building were also discovered, the details of which are listed in La Statistique Monumentale de la Charente, a document published in 1844 outlining the ancient ruins of Charente
.
Ambérac was founded near the ancient city of Oliba, and was a fiefdom of the families of La Rochefoucauld and Marcillac.
The town is home to the parish church of St. Étienne, which dates back to the 12th century. It has four remarkable bas-reliefs, reflecting the Annunciation
, the Visitation, the Nativity
, and the Magi
. Prior to the French Revolution
, the parish of St. Étienne was home to one of the thirteen archpriests
of Angoumois
.
of Lanville Marcillac as "Émberac", and later in 1801, when the village became a part of the canton of Saint-Amand-de-Boixe, as "Ambeirac", before finally coming to be spelled as it is in modern convention.
(This table is incomplete)
The labor force of Ambérac consists of 145 people. Of those, 11 are unemployed, giving an unemployment rate of 7.6%. The average income of the citizens is € 11,750/year.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Charente
Charente
Charente is a department in southwestern France, in the Poitou-Charentes region, named after the Charente River, the most important river in the department, and also the river beside which the department's two largest towns, Angoulême and Cognac, are sited.-History:Charente is one of the original...
département, region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
of Poitou-Charentes
Poitou-Charentes
Poitou-Charentes is an administrative region in central western France comprising four departments: Charente, Charente-Maritime, Deux-Sèvres and Vienne. The regional capital is Poitiers.-Politics:The regional council is composed of 56 members...
region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
in southwestern France. An individual from Ambérac is known as Ambéracois.
Geography
Ambérac is in the northwest part of the Charente department, at the confluenceConfluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of the rivers Aume and Charente. It is 24 kilometers to the north of Angoulême, six kilometers southwest of the commune of Aigre
Aigre
Aigre is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
, and eight kilometers northwest of Saint-Amant-de-Boixe
Saint-Amant-de-Boixe
Saint-Amant-de-Boixe is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
. The village sits on the bank of the Charente, lying upstream of Angoulême and downstream of Mansle
Mansle
Mansle is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France. It is about 20 km north of Angoulême on the main N10 road.-Population:...
.
Neighboring Towns
Roads
The municipality is served by several routes national, among which are the D.69, which connects the town to Mansle and Marcillac-LanvilleMarcillac-Lanville
Marcillac-Lanville is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
; the D.88, linking the town to Aigre and Xambes; and the D.737, providing a route to Angoulême and Chef-Boutonne
Chef-Boutonne
Chef-Boutonne is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France.-Geography:The Boutonne has its source in the commune, hence its name, Chef-Boutonne meaning head of the Boutonne.-References:*...
.
Railroads
The nearest train station is located five kilometers away in the town of LuxéLuxé
Luxé is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
. Destinations served include Angoulême, Poitiers, and Bourdeaux, and service is provided by Transport express régional.
History
The town was inhabited as least as early as Roman times, as attested to by artifacts found in and round the town, such as a bronze likeness of MercuryMercury (mythology)
Mercury was a messenger who wore winged sandals, and a god of trade, the son of Maia Maiestas and Jupiter in Roman mythology. His name is related to the Latin word merx , mercari , and merces...
wearing a winged petasos
Petasos
A petasos or petasus is a sun hat of Thessalian origin worn by the ancient Greeks, often in combination with the chlamys cape. It was usually made of wool felt, leather or straw, with a broad, floppy brim. It was worn primarily by farmers and travellers, and was considered characteristic of rural...
, stone slabs engraved with oculi
Oculus
An Oculus, circular window, or rain-hole is a feature of Classical architecture since the 16th century. They are often denoted by their French name, oeil de boeuf, or "bull's-eye". Such circular or oval windows express the presence of a mezzanine on a building's façade without competing for...
, a square well, and coins from the eras of Augustus, Agrippa, Marcus Aurelius, and Maximin. Other lesser artifacts attesting to the presence of settlers from these periods have also been discovered, including earthenware, iron implements, and fragments of a mosaic. In a nearby location, known as 'La Tour-des-Fades, the remains of an ancient building were also discovered, the details of which are listed in La Statistique Monumentale de la Charente, a document published in 1844 outlining the ancient ruins of Charente
Charente
Charente is a department in southwestern France, in the Poitou-Charentes region, named after the Charente River, the most important river in the department, and also the river beside which the department's two largest towns, Angoulême and Cognac, are sited.-History:Charente is one of the original...
.
Ambérac was founded near the ancient city of Oliba, and was a fiefdom of the families of La Rochefoucauld and Marcillac.
The town is home to the parish church of St. Étienne, which dates back to the 12th century. It has four remarkable bas-reliefs, reflecting the Annunciation
Annunciation
The Annunciation, also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary or Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to Virgin Mary, that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus the Son of God. Gabriel told Mary to name her...
, the Visitation, the Nativity
Nativity of Jesus
The Nativity of Jesus, or simply The Nativity, refers to the accounts of the birth of Jesus in two of the Canonical gospels and in various apocryphal texts....
, and the Magi
Biblical Magi
The Magi Greek: μάγοι, magoi), also referred to as the Wise Men, Kings, Astrologers, or Kings from the East, were a group of distinguished foreigners who were said to have visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh...
. Prior to the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, the parish of St. Étienne was home to one of the thirteen archpriests
Archpriest
An archpriest is a priest with supervisory duties over a number of parishes. The term is most often used in Eastern Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholic Churches, although it may be used in the Latin rite of the Roman Catholic Church instead of dean or vicar forane.In the 16th and 17th centuries, during...
of Angoumois
Angoumois
Angoumois was a county and province of France, nearly corresponding today to the Charente département. Its capital was Angoulême....
.
Toponymy
In the past, the town of Ambérac was known variously as "Ambéraco" from the years AD 1080 to 1117 and later as "Ambariaco" from 1274 to 1297. In 1793, it was spelled by the cantonCantons of France
The cantons of France are territorial subdivisions of the French Republic's 342 arrondissements and 101 departments.Apart from their role as organizational units in certain aspects of the administration of public services and justice, the chief purpose of the cantons today is to serve as...
of Lanville Marcillac as "Émberac", and later in 1801, when the village became a part of the canton of Saint-Amand-de-Boixe, as "Ambeirac", before finally coming to be spelled as it is in modern convention.
Administration
List of Mayors of Ambérac| Term in Office | Name | Party | Profession |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 – present | Alain Combaud | Independent | Public Works Technician |
(This table is incomplete)
Population
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1793 | 585 |
| 1800 | 709 |
| 1806 | 705 |
| 1821 | 780 |
| 1831 | 832 |
| 1841 | 791 |
| 1846 | 759 |
| 1851 | 729 |
| 1856 | 618 |
| 1861 | 613 |
| 1866 | 618 |
| 1872 | 619 |
| 1876 | 647 |
| 1881 | 576 |
| 1886 | 537 |
| 1891 | 522 |
| 1896 | 506 |
| 1901 | 510 |
| 1906 | 490 |
| 1911 | 441 |
| 1921 | 404 |
| 1926 | 399 |
| 1931 | 398 |
| 1936 | 419 |
| 1946 | 386 |
| 1954 | 334 |
| 1962 | 313 |
| 1968 | 317 |
| 1975 | 330 |
| 1982 | 361 |
| 1990 | 338 |
| 1990 | 336 |
| 2006 | 316 |
| 2007 | 314 |
| 2008 | 316 |
The labor force of Ambérac consists of 145 people. Of those, 11 are unemployed, giving an unemployment rate of 7.6%. The average income of the citizens is € 11,750/year.