Confolens
Encyclopedia
Confolens is a commune
in southwestern France. It is one of the two sub-prefecture of the Charente
department.
Confolens is the administrative center of a largely rural district, which has seen the development of tourism in recent years.
and Goire rivers. This location is at the origin of its name.
Confolens is also at the point where the Charente
and Limousin
regions meet, hence the name sometimes used to describe the area of "Charente Limousine".
In the nineteenth century, Confolens developed itself as the administrative center for a considerable agriculture area, due to its role as sous-prefecture
and the distance of all other major towns (Angoulême
, Limoges
and Poitiers
are all about 70 kilometres away). It has several handsome nineteenth century administrative buildings, some of which were built by Paul Abadie
, who was very active in the region.
There has been limited further urbanization in the twentieth century. The population of the town has aged, and the number of agriculture and industrial jobs have declined. Foreigners, especially British and Dutch, have been acquiring property in and around the town, and now form a significant presence.
One of the most prominent people to have hailed from Confolens is Émile Roux, a physician and immunologist who was a close collaborator of Louis Pasteur
. The former Confolens high school was named for Roux.
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 southwestern France. It is one of the two sub-prefecture of 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.
Confolens is the administrative center of a largely rural district, which has seen the development of tourism in recent years.
Geography
Confolens is located at the confluence of the VienneVienne 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 Goire rivers. This location is at the origin of its name.
Confolens is also at the point where 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...
and Limousin
Limousin (région)
Limousin is one of the 27 regions of France. It is composed of three départements: Corrèze, Creuse and the Haute-Vienne.Situated largely in the Massif Central, as of January 1st 2008, the Limousin comprised 740,743 inhabitants on nearly 17 000 km2, making it the second least populated region of...
regions meet, hence the name sometimes used to describe the area of "Charente Limousine".
History
Confolens was built around a fortress first mentioned in the eleventh century. It still has picturesque remnants of its medieval past, including city walls and several houses dating from the fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries. It also features a bridge first mentioned in the fourteenth century.In the nineteenth century, Confolens developed itself as the administrative center for a considerable agriculture area, due to its role as sous-prefecture
Sous-préfecture
Subprefectures are the administrative towns of arrondissements in France that do not contain the prefecture for its department. Subprefecture is also the name given to the building which houses the administrative headquarters for the arrondissement....
and the distance of all other major towns (Angoulême
Angoulême
-Main sights:In place of its ancient fortifications, Angoulême is encircled by boulevards above the old city walls, known as the Remparts, from which fine views may be obtained in all directions. Within the town the streets are often narrow. Apart from the cathedral and the hôtel de ville, the...
, Limoges
Limoges
Limoges |Limousin]] dialect of Occitan) is a city and commune, the capital of the Haute-Vienne department and the administrative capital of the Limousin région in west-central France....
and 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...
are all about 70 kilometres away). It has several handsome nineteenth century administrative buildings, some of which were built by Paul Abadie
Paul Abadie
Paul Abadie was a French architect and building restorer.-Biography:Abadie worked on the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris, Église Sainte-Croix of Bordeaux, Saint-Pierre of Angoulême and Saint-Front of Périgueux...
, who was very active in the region.
There has been limited further urbanization in the twentieth century. The population of the town has aged, and the number of agriculture and industrial jobs have declined. Foreigners, especially British and Dutch, have been acquiring property in and around the town, and now form a significant presence.
One of the most prominent people to have hailed from Confolens is Émile Roux, a physician and immunologist who was a close collaborator of Louis Pasteur
Louis Pasteur
Louis Pasteur was a French chemist and microbiologist born in Dole. He is remembered for his remarkable breakthroughs in the causes and preventions of diseases. His discoveries reduced mortality from puerperal fever, and he created the first vaccine for rabies and anthrax. His experiments...
. The former Confolens high school was named for Roux.
Population
Events
Confolens is the home of the Festival de Folklore, one of France's largest and best known folklore festivals, which takes place annually in August.External links
- http://www.festivaldeconfolens.org/
- http://www.fdlbedandbreakfast.com
- http://www.leboisdepommeau.com