La Gonterie-Boulouneix
Encyclopedia
La Gonterie-Boulouneix , in Occitan La Gontariá e Bolonés, is a commune
in the Dordogne
department in Aquitaine
in southwestern France
.
The commune's area is traversed in a NE-SW direction by the Boulou
and its left tributary Le Belaygue. Several times the Boulou traces the northwestern boundary of the commune. The Belaygue enters the commune's territory from the northeast, flows past the villages of Belaygue and Boulouneix and merges in the far southwest with the Boulou.
La Gonterie-Boulouneix is surrounded by the following communes:
The village of La Gonterie is situated 5 kilometers northwest of Brantôme and 17 kilometers southsouthwest of Nontron
.
No major through road crosses the commune's territory. The communal road C 1 connects La Gonterie to the D 939, a major trunk road from Périgueux
to Angoulême
about 2 kilometers farther to the northeast.
Orographically
the commune's lowest point is situated at the confluence of the Belaygue and the Boulou 105 meters above sea level. The highest elevation reaches 202 meters near Champat in the northeast.
The commune borders the Parc naturel régional Périgord Limousin
.
limestone
s, the vast majority being Coniacian
limestones. Near Marquisat in the north appear Upper Turonian
limestones of the Angoumian facies. The higher elevations around La Gonterie are taken up by Lower Santonian
limestones. In the Boulou valley the Coniacian is a cliff former with abris and cave
s (cave of la Sudrie, abris near La Nègrerie and La Tabaterie). Between Marquisat and Belaygue a major fault zone crosses in a NW-SE direction. This fault zone is a prolongation of the Mareuil anticline
. In some high places the Cretaceous sediments are covered by alluvial and colluvial deposits of the Pleistocene
, mainly sands, gravels and clays.
. Lithic artefacts from the Mousterian
have been discovered in the abris of Sendouge (also Sandougne) and La Tabaterie in the southwest. A partially fortified hillfort (an oppidum taking up 13.5 hectares) was established during the second iron age
about 600 to 500 BC on Roc Plat 20 to 30 meters above the abris at Sendouge. The Romans
left some remnants of an aqueduct
(masonry) in the ancient graveyard of Boulouneix. The Romanesque
church in Saintonge style of Boulouneix dates back to the 12th century. In ancient days Boulouneix used to house a convent dependent on Brantôme and a village logiacally called Labayat. At about the same the Benedictines founded a (now ruined) priory for nun
s in Belaygue. The church in La Gonterie dates back to the 18th century. In the year 1806 the communes of Belaygue and Boulouneix were united. The modern name of La Gonterie-Boulouneix exists since 1912.
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 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...
department in Aquitaine
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
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...
.
Etymology
The commune is an amalgamation of the once independent communes La Gonterie and Boulouneix. La Gonterie refers to Gontier, a well-known patronym in the area. Boulouneix is derived from the Latin adjective Bolonensis - i.e. pertaining to the river Bolon (in Occitan) or Boulou.Geography
The modern commune of La Gonterie-Boulouneix consists of the three historic communes Belaygue, Boulouneix and La Gonterie associated with hamlets and isolated dwellings like Champat, Champébre, Champtonie, Chazeau, Chez Jaumelet, Garelias, L'Étang, La Chataignade, La Combardie, La Nègrerie, La Plagne, La Suchonie, La Sudrie or Les Sudries, La Tabaterie, Landrivie, Le(s) Bernard(s), Le Clos du Pont, Le Couderc or Le Coudert, Le Haut-Palange, Le Maine, Leforesterie, Les Boutétias, Les Marquisats, Maison-neuve, Malet, Moulin de la Faye and Palange.The commune's area is traversed in a NE-SW direction by the Boulou
Boulou
Boulou is a village in the Bassar Prefecture in the Kara Region of north-western Togo.-External links:**...
and its left tributary Le Belaygue. Several times the Boulou traces the northwestern boundary of the commune. The Belaygue enters the commune's territory from the northeast, flows past the villages of Belaygue and Boulouneix and merges in the far southwest with the Boulou.
La Gonterie-Boulouneix is surrounded by the following communes:
- Saint-Félix-de-BourdeillesSaint-Félix-de-BourdeillesSaint-Félix-de-Bourdeilles is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
in the north. - Saint-Crépin-de-RichemontSaint-Crépin-de-RichemontSaint-Crépin-de-Richemont is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
in the northeast. - BrantômeBrantômeBrantôme may refer to:*Brantôme, Dordogne, a commune in the Dordogne département in central France*Pierre de Bourdeille, seigneur de Brantôme , French soldier and historian*Brantôme , champion French racehorse...
in the east and the southeast. - Saint-Julien-de-BourdeillesSaint-Julien-de-BourdeillesSaint-Julien-de-Bourdeilles is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-External links:* * *Map and aerial photos:**Street map: , or or **Satellite images:******...
in the south. - Paussac-et-Saint-VivienPaussac-et-Saint-VivienPaussac-et-Saint-Vivien is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
in the southwest. - Leguillac-de-CerclesLéguillac-de-CerclesLéguillac-de-Cercles is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
in the west and the northwest.
The village of La Gonterie is situated 5 kilometers northwest of Brantôme and 17 kilometers southsouthwest of Nontron
Nontron
Nontron is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-History:According to the historian Ribault de Laugardière, the name Nontron derives from the Tyrian language, from Nata and Dun...
.
No major through road crosses the commune's territory. The communal road C 1 connects La Gonterie to the D 939, a major trunk road from Périgueux
Périgueux
Périgueux is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Périgueux is the prefecture of the department and the capital of the region...
to 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...
about 2 kilometers farther to the northeast.
Orographically
Orography
Orography is the study of the formation and relief of mountains, and can more broadly include hills, and any part of a region's elevated terrain...
the commune's lowest point is situated at the confluence of the Belaygue and the Boulou 105 meters above sea level. The highest elevation reaches 202 meters near Champat in the northeast.
The commune borders the Parc naturel régional Périgord Limousin
Parc naturel régional Périgord Limousin
The Parc naturel régional Périgord Limousin was created March 9, 1998. It consists of 78 communes situated in the Dordogne and Haute Vienne départements...
.
Geology
The communal territory is mainly underlain by flat-lying CretaceousCretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
s, the vast majority being Coniacian
Coniacian
The Coniacian is an age or stage in the geologic timescale. It is a subdivision of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series and spans the time between 89.3 ± 1 Ma and 85.8 ± 0.7 Ma...
limestones. Near Marquisat in the north appear Upper Turonian
Turonian
The Turonian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the second age in the Late Cretaceous epoch, or a stage in the Upper Cretaceous series. It spans the time between 93.5 ± 0.8 Ma and 89.3 ± 1 Ma...
limestones of the Angoumian facies. The higher elevations around La Gonterie are taken up by Lower Santonian
Santonian
The Santonian is an age in the geologic timescale or a chronostratigraphic stage. It is a subdivision of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series. It spans the time between 85.8 ± 0.7 mya and 83.5 ± 0.7 mya...
limestones. In the Boulou valley the Coniacian is a cliff former with abris and cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
s (cave of la Sudrie, abris near La Nègrerie and La Tabaterie). Between Marquisat and Belaygue a major fault zone crosses in a NW-SE direction. This fault zone is a prolongation of the Mareuil anticline
Mareuil Anticline
The Mareuil Anticline, also called Mareuil-Meyssac Anticline, is a structural high within the sedimentary sequence of the northeastern Aquitaine Basin...
. In some high places the Cretaceous sediments are covered by alluvial and colluvial deposits of the Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
, mainly sands, gravels and clays.
History
The presence of hominids can be traced back in La Gonterie-Boulouneix to the paleolithicPaleolithic
The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
. Lithic artefacts from the Mousterian
Mousterian
Mousterian is a name given by archaeologists to a style of predominantly flint tools associated primarily with Homo neanderthalensis and dating to the Middle Paleolithic, the middle part of the Old Stone Age.-Naming:...
have been discovered in the abris of Sendouge (also Sandougne) and La Tabaterie in the southwest. A partially fortified hillfort (an oppidum taking up 13.5 hectares) was established during the second iron age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
about 600 to 500 BC on Roc Plat 20 to 30 meters above the abris at Sendouge. The Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
left some remnants of an aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
(masonry) in the ancient graveyard of Boulouneix. The Romanesque
Romanesque 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,...
church in Saintonge style of Boulouneix dates back to the 12th century. In ancient days Boulouneix used to house a convent dependent on Brantôme and a village logiacally called Labayat. At about the same the Benedictines founded a (now ruined) priory for nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
s in Belaygue. The church in La Gonterie dates back to the 18th century. In the year 1806 the communes of Belaygue and Boulouneix were united. The modern name of La Gonterie-Boulouneix exists since 1912.