Aubeterre-sur-Dronne
Encyclopedia
Aubeterre-sur-Dronne is a commune
in the Charente
department in the Poitou-Charentes
region
in southwestern France
.
river, on the South-East border of the Charente region, close to the Dordogne
and the villages of Bonnes
, Laprade
and Saint-Romain
. It is counted among Les Plus Beaux Villages de France
.
rock face that overlooks the town.
. Its main nave
is more than 20m high. At 15m, the nave is skirted by a gallery on three sides of the church, which is accessible via a staircase cut into the rock.
The church contains a Roman reliquary
and a crypt. Discovered in 1958, the necropolis contains more than 80 sarcophagi.
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...
department in the 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
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Geography
The town is situated on the DronneDronne
The Dronne is a 201 km long river in southwestern France, right tributary of the Isle River. Its source is in the north-western Massif Central, east of the town of Châlus at an elevation of 510 m...
river, on the South-East border of the Charente region, close to the Dordogne
Dordogne
Dordogne is a départment in south-west France. The départment is located in the region of Aquitaine, between the Loire valley and the High Pyrénées named after the great river Dordogne that runs through it...
and the villages of Bonnes
Bonnes, Charente
Bonnes is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France.-Population:-External links:*...
, Laprade
Laprade, Charente
Laprade is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France.-Population:...
and Saint-Romain
Saint-Romain, Charente
Saint-Romain is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France.-Geography:The commune is located in South Charente, 1 km north-east of Aubeterre-sur-Dronne, 9 km north of Saint-Aulaye, 19 km west of Ribérac, 18 km south of Montmoreau and 48 km south of...
. It is counted among Les Plus Beaux Villages de France
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France is an independent association, created in 1982, which aims to promote assets of small and picturesque French villages of quality heritage...
.
Name
The name Aubeterre is derived from the name Albaterra, which dates back to 1004. The town was given this name because of the white chalkChalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
rock face that overlooks the town.
Population
Eglise Saint-Jean
Aubeterre is the site of an underground church/monolithic churchMonolithic church
A monolithic church or rock-hewn church is a church made from a single block of stone. They are one of the most basic forms of monolithic architecture....
. Its main nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
is more than 20m high. At 15m, the nave is skirted by a gallery on three sides of the church, which is accessible via a staircase cut into the rock.
The church contains a Roman reliquary
Reliquary
A reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...
and a crypt. Discovered in 1958, the necropolis contains more than 80 sarcophagi.
Other monuments
- The Saint-Jacques church, classed as a historical monument because of its Roman-SaintongeaisSaintongeaisSaintongeais is a dialect spoken halfway down the western coast of France in the former provinces of Saintonge, Aunis and Angoumois, all of which have been incorporated into the current départements of Charente and Charente-Maritime as well as in parts of their neighbouring départements of...
style façade. - The castle of which there remains the base of the four round towers and a square tower dating from the 16th century.
- The Apôtres tower (or Henri IV tower) where Henri VI would have stayed on the eve of the battle of Coutras.