Cherveux
Encyclopedia
Cherveux is a commune
in the Deux-Sèvres
department in the Poitou-Charentes
region
in western France
.
Roman period : Some vestiges attest that the Romans occupied some places
The name of Cherveux : is of Celtic origin, which would indicate that the area originated at a very ancient date. This village was first known under the name of Carvium in 1100, then, a century later as Cherveox and Cheveras until the fifteenth century. It then became Cherveaux, then, by 1603, Chevreoux and later, Cherveus. Then, it was called St Pierre of Cherveux into the Eighteenth century before being only simply Cherveux. Its name would come from hemp (in "local patois": chorbe or chorve). Since this plant was very abundant in this region, many people made their living as weavers and manufacturer of rope).
Cherveux probably owes its existence to a monastery that was settled close to the "motte féodale
" that was later to become the powerful fortress of the Lusignans. Monks that lived in it were driven out during the wars that ravaged the Poitou. The monastery has been destroyed and on the site now stands a church that rises on the remains of the ancient monastery, known as St-Pierre's de Poitiers cathedral. Stones that have been found in the church graveyard are shaped like those of Civaux and Nanteuil. In a stable of the castle farm, there is a window that leads to the ruins of the ancient monastery.
Some places around Cherveux called Maurie and the Raberie (spelled before Araberie) remind us of the passage of the Maure and the Arabian.
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 Deux-Sèvres
Deux-Sèvres
Deux-Sèvres is a French département. Deux-Sèvres literally means "two Sèvres": the Sèvre Nantaise and the Sèvre Niortaise are two rivers which have their sources in the department.-History:...
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
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...
.
Origins of Cherveux
Prehistoric period : Flint tools (bifaces-knife-scraper-ax-tips of arrows) buried in the plain testify that the place was inhabited during prehistoric times.Roman period : Some vestiges attest that the Romans occupied some places
The name of Cherveux : is of Celtic origin, which would indicate that the area originated at a very ancient date. This village was first known under the name of Carvium in 1100, then, a century later as Cherveox and Cheveras until the fifteenth century. It then became Cherveaux, then, by 1603, Chevreoux and later, Cherveus. Then, it was called St Pierre of Cherveux into the Eighteenth century before being only simply Cherveux. Its name would come from hemp (in "local patois": chorbe or chorve). Since this plant was very abundant in this region, many people made their living as weavers and manufacturer of rope).
Cherveux probably owes its existence to a monastery that was settled close to the "motte féodale
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
" that was later to become the powerful fortress of the Lusignans. Monks that lived in it were driven out during the wars that ravaged the Poitou. The monastery has been destroyed and on the site now stands a church that rises on the remains of the ancient monastery, known as St-Pierre's de Poitiers cathedral. Stones that have been found in the church graveyard are shaped like those of Civaux and Nanteuil. In a stable of the castle farm, there is a window that leads to the ruins of the ancient monastery.
Some places around Cherveux called Maurie and the Raberie (spelled before Araberie) remind us of the passage of the Maure and the Arabian.
External links
- Unofficial Web site (in French)
- Castle of Cherveux (in French)