Chauvigny
Encyclopedia
Chauvigny is a commune
in the Vienne
department in the Poitou-Charentes
region
in western France.
Chauvigny is located 20 miles (32 km) east of Poitiers
by rail. The town is situated overlooking the Vienne River
and a small brook. Chauvigny is twinned with Billericay
in Essex
, England.
churches, both restored in modern times. There are also ruins of a château of the bishops of Poitiers, and of several other strongholds.
Near Chauvigny is the curious bone-cavern of Jioux, the entrance to which is fortified by large blocks of stone.
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 Vienne
Vienne
Vienne is the northernmost département of the Poitou-Charentes region of France, named after the river Vienne.- Viennese history :Vienne is one of the original 83 departments, established on March 4, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Poitou,...
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 western France.
Chauvigny is located 20 miles (32 km) east of Poitiers
Poitiers
Poitiers is a city on the Clain river in west central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and of the Poitou-Charentes region. The centre is picturesque and its streets are interesting for predominant remains of historical architecture, especially from the Romanesque...
by rail. The town is situated overlooking the Vienne River
Vienne River
The Vienne is one of the most important rivers in south-western France, a significant left tributary of the lower Loire. It supports numerous hydro-electric dams, and it is the main river of the Limousin region and also of the eastern part of the Poitou-Charentes region.Two French départements are...
and a small brook. Chauvigny is twinned with Billericay
Billericay
Billericay is a town and civil parish in the Basildon borough of Essex, England. It lies within the London Basin, has a population of 40,000, and constitutes a commuter town east of central London. The town has three secondary schools and a variety of open spaces...
in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England.
Sights
Chauvigny features two interesting RomanesqueRomanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
churches, both restored in modern times. There are also ruins of a château of the bishops of Poitiers, and of several other strongholds.
Near Chauvigny is the curious bone-cavern of Jioux, the entrance to which is fortified by large blocks of stone.