Nontron
Encyclopedia
Nontron is a commune
in the Dordogne
department in Aquitaine
in southwestern France.
The town has probably existed for around 1100 years and has been invaded or sacked several times, including by Saracens in the seventh century and by Normans
in the ninth century. In the eighth century, a Gallo-Roman castrum was built for the counts of Limoges and the Poitevin abbey of Charroux
.
Over the course of the centuries, the town changed hands several time until, after the French Revolution
it became a subprefecture
of the department of the Dordogne. The town's railway station served passengers between 1891 and 1946, continuing to handle freight until 1970.
The oldest surviving property in Nontron is the Château de La Mothe (The name meaning "chateau of the little hill")
This historic Chateau dates from 1478, built for the sister of Francis I of France
. The Château benefits from a pure
fresh water spring, originally used by the whole town and still running today. The Château bears the rare symbol
above its entrance of two crossed cannons under a cannon ball, bestowed by Royal command to a Royal Forge. Only four
properties are known to survive in France with the same symbol. The Château has had many important owners over the
centuries including Guilhaume Faure adviser to the King in 1583 and Marguerite de La Rocque
who in the fifteenth century was a member of the voyages of discovery to Canada with her cousin Jean-François de La Rocque de Roberval, and Jacques Cartier
and was marooned on the isle of demons of the coast off Quebec, living wild for almost two years before rescue by French trawlerman and subsequent return to France and Nontron at Château de la Mothe.
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.
History
According to the historian Ribault de Laugardière, the name Nontron derives from the Tyrian language, from Nata (valley) and Dun (mountain). Over time, the placename has been spelt Natadun, Nattun, Nantrun and Nontroun, before the current Nontron.The town has probably existed for around 1100 years and has been invaded or sacked several times, including by Saracens in the seventh century and by Normans
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
in the ninth century. In the eighth century, a Gallo-Roman castrum was built for the counts of Limoges and the Poitevin abbey of Charroux
Charroux Abbey
Charroux Abbey , is a ruined monastery in Charroux, in the Vienne department of Poitou-Charentes, western France.-History:Charroux was a Benedictine abbey, founded in 785 by Roger, Count of Limoges. It had up to 213 affiliated abbeys and priories. The Council of Charroux was held at the abbey in 989...
.
Over the course of the centuries, the town changed hands several time until, after the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
it became a subprefecture
Subprefecture
Subprefecture is an administrative division of a country that is below prefecture or province.-Albania:There are twelve Albanian counties or prefectures, each of which is subdivided into several districts, sometimes translated as subprefectures.-Brazil:...
of the department of the Dordogne. The town's railway station served passengers between 1891 and 1946, continuing to handle freight until 1970.
The oldest surviving property in Nontron is the Château de La Mothe (The name meaning "chateau of the little hill")
This historic Chateau dates from 1478, built for the sister of Francis I of France
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
. The Château benefits from a pure
fresh water spring, originally used by the whole town and still running today. The Château bears the rare symbol
above its entrance of two crossed cannons under a cannon ball, bestowed by Royal command to a Royal Forge. Only four
properties are known to survive in France with the same symbol. The Château has had many important owners over the
centuries including Guilhaume Faure adviser to the King in 1583 and Marguerite de La Rocque
Marguerite de La Rocque
Marguerite de La Rocque de Roberval was a French noblewoman who spent some years marooned on the Île des Démons in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, off the coast of Quebec...
who in the fifteenth century was a member of the voyages of discovery to Canada with her cousin Jean-François de La Rocque de Roberval, and Jacques Cartier
Jacques Cartier
Jacques Cartier was a French explorer of Breton origin who claimed what is now Canada for France. He was the first European to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint Lawrence River, which he named "The Country of Canadas", after the Iroquois names for the two big...
and was marooned on the isle of demons of the coast off Quebec, living wild for almost two years before rescue by French trawlerman and subsequent return to France and Nontron at Château de la Mothe.