Poitiers
Encyclopedia
Poitiers pwatje 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
period. Two major military battles occurred near the city: in 732, the Battle of Poitiers
(also known as the Battle of Tours), in which the Franks commanded by Charles Martel
halted the expansion of the Umayyad Caliphate, and in 1356, the Battle of Poitiers
, a key victory for English forces during the Hundred Years' War
.
, a shallow zone which is a gap between the Armorican
and the Central Massif
and connects the Aquitaine Basin
to the Paris Basin
. Poitiers's primary site sits on a vast promontory between the valleys of the Boivre
and the Clain
. The old town occupies the slopes and summit of a plateau which rises 130 feet (39.6 m) above the streams which surround it on three sides.
Inhabitants of Poitiers are called Pictaviens (masculin) and Pictaviennes (feminin) because Pictavis was the ancient name for the town. It is not uncommon for inhabitants of Poitiers to call themselves Poitevins or Poitevines, although this name can be used for anyone from the Poitou-Charentes
region. One out of three people in Poitiers is under the age of 30 and one out of four people in Poitiers are students.
tribe as the oppidum
Lemonum before Roman
influence. The name is said to have come from the Celtic word for elm
, Lemo. After Roman influence, the town became known as Pictavium.
Until 1857 Poitiers contained the ruins of a vast Roman amphitheatre
larger than that of Nîmes
.
Remains of Roman baths, built in the 1st century and demolished in the 3rd century, were laid bare in 1877.
In 1879 a burial-place and tombs of a number of Christian martyrs were discovered on the heights to the south-east, the names of some of the Christians being preserved in paintings and inscriptions. Not far from these tombs is a huge dolmen
(the Pierre Levée), which is 22 feet (6.7 m) long, 16 feet (4.9 m) broad and 7 feet (2.1 m) high, and around which used to be held the great fair of Saint Luke.
The Romans also built at least three aqueducts. This extensive ensemble of Roman constructions suggests Poitiers was a town of first importance, possibly even the capital of the Roman province
of Gallia Aquitania
during the 2nd century.
As Christianity was officialized and introduced across the Roman Empire
during the 3rd and 4th centuries, the first bishop of Poitiers from 350 to 367, Saint Hilarius
, evangelized the city. The first foundations of the Baptistère Saint-Jean
are traced to that era.
In the 4th century, a thick wall six meters wide and ten meters high was built around the city. It was 2.5 km (1.6 mi) long and stood lower on the naturally defended east side and at the top of the promontory.
At this time, the town began to be known as Poitiers, after the original Pictones
inhabitants.
Fifty years later the city fell into the hands of the Arian Visigoths, and became one of the principal residences of their kings. Visigoth King Alaric II
was defeated by Clovis I
at Vouillé
, not far from Poitiers, in 507, and the town came under Frank
ish dominion.
During most of the Early Middle Ages
, the town of Poitiers took advantage of its defensive site and of its location, which was far from the centre of Frankish power. As the seat for an évêché
(bishop) since the 4th century, the town was the capital of the Poitou
county. The Counts of Poitiers
governed a large domain, including both Aquitaine
and Poitou
.
The first decisive Christian victory over Muslims—the Battle of Tours
—was fought by Charles Martel
's men in the vicinity of Poitiers on 10 October 732. It was one of the world's pivotal moments.
Eleanor of Aquitaine
frequently resided in the city, which she embellished and fortified, and in 1199 entrusted with communal rights.
The Battle of Poitiers
was fought at Poitiers on 19 September 1356, during the Hundred Years' War
.
In 1418, the royal parliament moved from Paris to Poitiers, where it remained in exile until the Plantagenets withdrew from the capital in 1436. During this interval (1429) Joan of Arc
was subjected to a formal inquest in the town. The University of Poitiers
was founded in 1431. Also, John Calvin
had numerous converts at Poitiers. Of the violent proceedings which attended the Wars of Religion
, the city had its share. In 1569 it was defended by Gui de Daillon, comte du Lude, against Gaspard de Coligny
, who after an unsuccessful bombardment retired from the siege at the end of seven weeks.
, the town's mayor. He compared it to the Roman state, which combined three types of government: monarchy (rule by one person), aristocracy
(rule by a few), and democracy (rule by the many). He said the Roman consulate corresponded to Poitiers' mayor, the senate to the town's peers and échevins, and the democratic element in Rome corresponded to the fact that most important matters "can not be decided except by the advice of the Mois et Cent (broad council).1 The mayor appears to have been an advocate of a mixed constitution; not all Frenchmen in 1595 would have agreed with him, at least in public; many spoke in favour of absolute monarchy. We should also note that the democratic element was not as strong as the mayor's words may seem to imply: in fact, Poitiers was similar to other French cities, Paris, Nantes
, Marseille
, Limoges
, La Rochelle
, Dijon
, in that the town's governing body (corps de ville) was "highly exclusive and oligarchical": a small number of professional and family groups controlled most of the city offices. In Poitiers many of these positions were granted for the lifetime of the office holder.2
The city government in Poitiers based its claims to legitimacy on the theory of government where the mayor and échevins held jurisdiction of the city's affairs in fief from the king: that is, they swore allegiance and promised support for him, and in return he granted them local authority. This gave them the advantage of being able to claim that any townsperson who challenged their authority was being disloyal to the king. Every year the mayor and the 24 échevins would swear an oath of allegiance "between the hands" of the king or his representative, usually the lieutenant général or the sénéchaussée. For example, in 1567, when Maixent Poitevin
was mayor, king Henri III came for a visit, and, although some townspeople grumbled about the licentious behaviour of his entourage, Henri smoothed things over with a warm speech acknowledging their allegiance and thanking them for it.2
In this era, the mayor of Poitiers was preceded by sergeants wherever he went, consulted deliberative bodies, carried out their decisions, "heard civil and criminal suits in first instance", tried to ensure that the food supply would be adequate, visited markets.2
In the 16th century, Poitiers impressed visitors because of its large size, and important features, including "royal courts, university, prolific printing shops, wealthy religious institutions, cathedral, numerous parishes, markets, impressive domestic architecture, extensive fortifications, and castle."3
Poitiers is closely associated with the life of François Rabelais
and with the community of Bitard
s.
. Few changes were made in the urban landscape, except for laying way or the rue de la Tranchée. Bridges were built were the inhabitants had used gués. A few hôtels particuliers
were built at that time, such as the hôtels Jean Baucé, Fumé and Berthelot. Poets Joachim du Bellay
and Pierre Ronsard met at the University of Poitiers
, before leaving for Paris.
Many Acadians or Cajuns living in North America can trace ancestry to this region as their ancestors left from here in the 17th century.
s built in its place
, despite its distance from France's borders.
The train station was built in the 1850s.
During the late fifties until the late sixties when Charles de Gaulle
ended the American military presence, the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force had an array of military installations in France, including a major Army logistics and communications hub in Poitiers, part of what was called the Communication Zone (ComZ), and consisting of a logistics headquarters and communications agency located at Aboville Caserne, a military compound situated on a hill above the city. Today, hundreds of graduates (called "Military Brats") of Poitiers American High School, a school operated by the Department of Defense School System (DODDS), have gone on to successful careers, including the recent commander-in-chief of U.S. Special Forces Command, Army General Bryan (Doug) Brown. The Caserne also housed a full support community, with a theater, commissary, recreation facilities and an affiliate radio station of the American Forces Network, Europe, headquartered in Frankfurt (now Mannheim), Germany.
The city benefited from industrial décentralisation
in the 1970s, for instance with the installation of Michelin
and Compagnie des compteurs Schlumberger
factories
during that decade.
The Futuroscope
theme park and research park project, built in 1986–1987 in nearby Chasseneuil-du-Poitou
after an idea from René Monory
, established the city as a touristic
destination and opened it to the era of information technology.
founded in 1900 is a multi sports club. It includes a volleyball team that play in Pro A, a basketball team, an amateur football team and also a professional rugby
team (season 2008–2009).
The PB86
for Poitiers Basket 86 plays in the proA league. Three Americans play there Rasheed Wright, Kenny Yougner and Tommy Gunn. The team has play the playoffs in 2009_2010 season and was the proB France Champion for the 2008–2009 season http://www.pb86.fr/ the communication of the team is recognize as one of the best in france basketball league.
Brian Joubert
, the figure skating
champion, practices at Poitiers ice rink and lives with his family in the city.
Poitiers' tourist industry has greatly benefited from the opening of the Futuroscope
in nearby Chasseneuil-du-Poitou
in 1987. The city centre is visited in complement to the theme-park and benefits from a larger proportion of European tourists, notably from the United Kingdom.
is on the TGV Atlantique line between Paris and Bordeaux
. The station is in the valley to the west of the old town centre. Services run to Angoulême
, Limoges
and La Rochelle
in addition to Paris and Bordeaux. The direct TGV
puts Poitiers 1h40 from Paris' Gare Montparnasse
.
Poitiers - Biard Airport is located 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) west of Poitiers with flights to Lyon-Saint Exupéry, London-Stansted and Birmingham.
Urban transport is provided by the company Vitalis. Transport in the region are provided by the TER Poitou-Charentes
(regional express train). Transportation in the department of Vienne
is assured by the car "ligne en Vienne".
From January 2009 to December 2012, the town centre circulation will go through deep changes called "Projet Coeur d'Agglo". This project focuses on new ways of thinking about the way people use cars to access the town centre and as an everyday way of transportation. Since 29 September 2010, cars are forbidden to use the access to 12 new streets. Finally, a new line of fast buses will be added around 2017.
was established in 1431 and welcomed many famous thinkers ( François Rabelais
; René Descartes
; Francis Bacon
). It is the second oldest university in France. Poitiers is nowadays one of the biggest student cities in France; it has more students per inhabitant than any other city in France. There are more than 27,000 university students, nearly 4000 of them foreigners, from 117 countries. The University covers all major fields such as sciences, geography
, history, languages. It also has engineering (ENSMA; ESIP) and business (ESCEM; IAE
) schools.
The law degree
is one of the best in France, rank 2nd by Etudiant magazine in 2005.
Since 2001, the city of Poitiers has hosted the first cycle of "South America, Spain and Portugal" from the Paris Institute of Political Studies.
with:
Clain
The Clain is a 144 km long river in western France, left tributary of the river Vienne. Its source is near Hiesse, in the Charente department.The Clain flows generally north through the following departments and towns:*Charente...
in west central France. It is a commune and the capital of 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 and of 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...
. The centre is picturesque and its streets are interesting for predominant remains of historical architecture, especially from 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,...
period. Two major military battles occurred near the city: in 732, the Battle of Poitiers
Battle of Tours
The Battle of Tours , also called the Battle of Poitiers and in Battle of the Court of the Martyrs, was fought in an area between the cities of Poitiers and Tours, located in north-central France, near the village of Moussais-la-Bataille, about northeast of Poitiers...
(also known as the Battle of Tours), in which the Franks commanded by Charles Martel
Charles Martel
Charles Martel , also known as Charles the Hammer, was a Frankish military and political leader, who served as Mayor of the Palace under the Merovingian kings and ruled de facto during an interregnum at the end of his life, using the title Duke and Prince of the Franks. In 739 he was offered the...
halted the expansion of the Umayyad Caliphate, and in 1356, the Battle of Poitiers
Battle of Poitiers (1356)
The Battle of Poitiers was fought between the Kingdoms of England and France on 19 September 1356 near Poitiers, resulting in the second of the three great English victories of the Hundred Years' War: Crécy, Poitiers, and Agincourt....
, a key victory for English forces during the Hundred Years' War
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of separate wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known as the House of Anjou, for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings...
.
Geography
Poitiers is strategically situated on the Seuil du PoitouSeuil du Poitou
The Seuil du Poitou is a geological denomination for an area in western central France where the Paris and Aquitaine sedimentary basins meet, and which also is a gap between the ancient mountain ranges Massif Armoricain and the Massif Central .Situated to the south of Poitiers, the area is the...
, a shallow zone which is a gap between the Armorican
Armorican Massif
The Armorican Massif is a geologic massif that covers a large area in the northwest of France, including Brittany, the western part of Normandy and the Pays de la Loire. Its name comes from the old Armorica, a Gaul area between the Loire and the Seine rivers...
and the Central Massif
Massif Central
The Massif Central is an elevated region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaux....
and connects the Aquitaine Basin
Aquitaine Basin (geology)
The Aquitaine Basin is after the Paris Basin the second largest Mesozoic and Cenozoic sedimentary basin in France, occupying a large part of the country's southwestern quadrant. Its surface area covers 66,000 km2 onshore. It formed on Variscan basement which was peneplained during the Permian...
to the Paris Basin
Paris Basin (geology)
The Paris Basin is one of the major geological regions of France having developed since the Triassic on a basement formed by the Variscan orogeny.-Extent:...
. Poitiers's primary site sits on a vast promontory between the valleys of the Boivre
Boivre
The Boivre is a 46.1 km long river in western France, tributary of the river Clain. Its source is near Vasles, in the Deux-Sèvres département.The Boivre flows through the following départements and towns:*Deux-Sèvres: Vasles...
and the Clain
Clain
The Clain is a 144 km long river in western France, left tributary of the river Vienne. Its source is near Hiesse, in the Charente department.The Clain flows generally north through the following departments and towns:*Charente...
. The old town occupies the slopes and summit of a plateau which rises 130 feet (39.6 m) above the streams which surround it on three sides.
Inhabitants of Poitiers are called Pictaviens (masculin) and Pictaviennes (feminin) because Pictavis was the ancient name for the town. It is not uncommon for inhabitants of Poitiers to call themselves Poitevins or Poitevines, although this name can be used for anyone from 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. One out of three people in Poitiers is under the age of 30 and one out of four people in Poitiers are students.
Antiquity
Poitiers was founded by the Celtic PictonesPictones
The Pictones were a tribe inhabiting a region along the Bay of Biscay in what is now western France, along the south bank of the Loire. During the reign of Augustus , the Pictones were included in the larger province of Gallia Aquitania, along with most of western Gaul...
tribe as the oppidum
Oppidum
Oppidum is a Latin word meaning the main settlement in any administrative area of ancient Rome. The word is derived from the earlier Latin ob-pedum, "enclosed space," possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *pedóm-, "occupied space" or "footprint."Julius Caesar described the larger Celtic Iron Age...
Lemonum before Roman
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
influence. The name is said to have come from the Celtic word for elm
Elm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
, Lemo. After Roman influence, the town became known as Pictavium.
Until 1857 Poitiers contained the ruins of a vast Roman amphitheatre
Amphitheatre
An amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...
larger than that of Nîmes
Nîmes
Nîmes is the capital of the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. Nîmes has a rich history, dating back to the Roman Empire, and is a popular tourist destination.-History:...
.
Remains of Roman baths, built in the 1st century and demolished in the 3rd century, were laid bare in 1877.
In 1879 a burial-place and tombs of a number of Christian martyrs were discovered on the heights to the south-east, the names of some of the Christians being preserved in paintings and inscriptions. Not far from these tombs is a huge dolmen
Dolmen
A dolmen—also known as a portal tomb, portal grave, dolmain , cromlech , anta , Hünengrab/Hünenbett , Adamra , Ispun , Hunebed , dös , goindol or quoit—is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of...
(the Pierre Levée), which is 22 feet (6.7 m) long, 16 feet (4.9 m) broad and 7 feet (2.1 m) high, and around which used to be held the great fair of Saint Luke.
The Romans also built at least three aqueducts. This extensive ensemble of Roman constructions suggests Poitiers was a town of first importance, possibly even the capital of the Roman province
Roman province
In Ancient Rome, a province was the basic, and, until the Tetrarchy , largest territorial and administrative unit of the empire's territorial possessions outside of Italy...
of Gallia Aquitania
Gallia Aquitania
Gallia Aquitania was a province of the Roman Empire, bordered by the provinces of Gallia Lugdunensis, Gallia Narbonensis, and Hispania Tarraconensis...
during the 2nd century.
As Christianity was officialized and introduced across the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
during the 3rd and 4th centuries, the first bishop of Poitiers from 350 to 367, Saint Hilarius
Hilary of Poitiers
Hilary of Poitiers was Bishop of Poitiers and is a Doctor of the Church. He was sometimes referred to as the "Hammer of the Arians" and the "Athanasius of the West." His name comes from the Latin word for happy or cheerful. His optional memorial in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints is 13...
, evangelized the city. The first foundations of the Baptistère Saint-Jean
Baptistère Saint-Jean
The Baptistère Saint-Jean is a religious edifice in Poitiers, France. It is reputed to be the oldest existing Christian building in France and one of the most prominent examples of Merovingian architecture.-Roman origins:...
are traced to that era.
In the 4th century, a thick wall six meters wide and ten meters high was built around the city. It was 2.5 km (1.6 mi) long and stood lower on the naturally defended east side and at the top of the promontory.
At this time, the town began to be known as Poitiers, after the original Pictones
Pictones
The Pictones were a tribe inhabiting a region along the Bay of Biscay in what is now western France, along the south bank of the Loire. During the reign of Augustus , the Pictones were included in the larger province of Gallia Aquitania, along with most of western Gaul...
inhabitants.
Fifty years later the city fell into the hands of the Arian Visigoths, and became one of the principal residences of their kings. Visigoth King Alaric II
Alaric II
Alaric II, also known as Alarik, Alarich, and Alarico in Spanish and Portuguese or Alaricus in Latin succeeded his father Euric on December 28, 484, in Toulouse. He established his capital at Aire-sur-l'Adour in Aquitaine...
was defeated by Clovis I
Clovis I
Clovis Leuthwig was the first King of the Franks to unite all the Frankish tribes under one ruler, changing the leadership from a group of royal chieftains, to rule by kings, ensuring that the kingship was held by his heirs. He was also the first Catholic King to rule over Gaul . He was the son...
at Vouillé
Vouillé, Vienne
Vouillé is a commune in the Vienne department in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France.The Battle of Vouillé or Vouglé was fought in the northern marches of Visigothic territory, at Vouillé, Vienne, , in the spring of 507 between the Franks commanded by Clovis and the Visigoths of Alaric...
, not far from Poitiers, in 507, and the town came under Frank
Frank
Frank may refer to:* A member of the medieval Germanic people, the Franks* Frank * Frank * Crusaders or any persons originating in Catholic western Europe, in medieval Middle Eastern history...
ish dominion.
Middle Ages
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
, the town of Poitiers took advantage of its defensive site and of its location, which was far from the centre of Frankish power. As the seat for an évêché
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
(bishop) since the 4th century, the town was the capital of the Poitou
Poitou
Poitou was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers.The region of Poitou was called Thifalia in the sixth century....
county. The Counts of Poitiers
Count of Poitiers
Among the people who have borne the title of Count of Poitiers are:*Guerin **Hatton **Renaud...
governed a large domain, including both 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...
and Poitou
Poitou
Poitou was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers.The region of Poitou was called Thifalia in the sixth century....
.
The first decisive Christian victory over Muslims—the Battle of Tours
Battle of Tours
The Battle of Tours , also called the Battle of Poitiers and in Battle of the Court of the Martyrs, was fought in an area between the cities of Poitiers and Tours, located in north-central France, near the village of Moussais-la-Bataille, about northeast of Poitiers...
—was fought by Charles Martel
Charles Martel
Charles Martel , also known as Charles the Hammer, was a Frankish military and political leader, who served as Mayor of the Palace under the Merovingian kings and ruled de facto during an interregnum at the end of his life, using the title Duke and Prince of the Franks. In 739 he was offered the...
's men in the vicinity of Poitiers on 10 October 732. It was one of the world's pivotal moments.
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages. As well as being Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, she was queen consort of France and of England...
frequently resided in the city, which she embellished and fortified, and in 1199 entrusted with communal rights.
The Battle of Poitiers
Battle of Poitiers (1356)
The Battle of Poitiers was fought between the Kingdoms of England and France on 19 September 1356 near Poitiers, resulting in the second of the three great English victories of the Hundred Years' War: Crécy, Poitiers, and Agincourt....
was fought at Poitiers on 19 September 1356, during the Hundred Years' War
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of separate wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known as the House of Anjou, for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings...
.
In 1418, the royal parliament moved from Paris to Poitiers, where it remained in exile until the Plantagenets withdrew from the capital in 1436. During this interval (1429) Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
was subjected to a formal inquest in the town. The University of Poitiers
University of Poitiers
The University of Poitiers is a university in Poitiers, France. It is a member of the Coimbra Group.-History:Founded in 1431 by Pope Eugene IV and chartered by King Charles VII, the University of Poitiers was originally composed of five faculties: theology, canon law, civil law, medicine, and...
was founded in 1431. Also, John Calvin
John Calvin
John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
had numerous converts at Poitiers. Of the violent proceedings which attended the Wars of Religion
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion is the name given to a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants . The conflict involved the factional disputes between the aristocratic houses of France, such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise...
, the city had its share. In 1569 it was defended by Gui de Daillon, comte du Lude, against Gaspard de Coligny
Gaspard de Coligny
Gaspard de Coligny , Seigneur de Châtillon, was a French nobleman and admiral, best remembered as a disciplined Huguenot leader in the French Wars of Religion.-Ancestry:...
, who after an unsuccessful bombardment retired from the siege at the end of seven weeks.
16th century
The type of political organisation existing in Poitiers during the late medieval or early modern period can be glimpsed through a speech given on 14 July 1595 by Maurice RoatinMaurice Roatin
Maurice Roatin was a mayor of Poitiers in France, from 1594 to 1595....
, the town's mayor. He compared it to the Roman state, which combined three types of government: monarchy (rule by one person), aristocracy
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
(rule by a few), and democracy (rule by the many). He said the Roman consulate corresponded to Poitiers' mayor, the senate to the town's peers and échevins, and the democratic element in Rome corresponded to the fact that most important matters "can not be decided except by the advice of the Mois et Cent (broad council).1 The mayor appears to have been an advocate of a mixed constitution; not all Frenchmen in 1595 would have agreed with him, at least in public; many spoke in favour of absolute monarchy. We should also note that the democratic element was not as strong as the mayor's words may seem to imply: in fact, Poitiers was similar to other French cities, Paris, Nantes
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
, Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, 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....
, La Rochelle
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
, Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
, in that the town's governing body (corps de ville) was "highly exclusive and oligarchical": a small number of professional and family groups controlled most of the city offices. In Poitiers many of these positions were granted for the lifetime of the office holder.2
The city government in Poitiers based its claims to legitimacy on the theory of government where the mayor and échevins held jurisdiction of the city's affairs in fief from the king: that is, they swore allegiance and promised support for him, and in return he granted them local authority. This gave them the advantage of being able to claim that any townsperson who challenged their authority was being disloyal to the king. Every year the mayor and the 24 échevins would swear an oath of allegiance "between the hands" of the king or his representative, usually the lieutenant général or the sénéchaussée. For example, in 1567, when Maixent Poitevin
Maixent Poitevin
Maixent Poitevin was a mayor of Poitiers in France, from 1566 to 1568. He served two terms, being re-elected once in 1567....
was mayor, king Henri III came for a visit, and, although some townspeople grumbled about the licentious behaviour of his entourage, Henri smoothed things over with a warm speech acknowledging their allegiance and thanking them for it.2
In this era, the mayor of Poitiers was preceded by sergeants wherever he went, consulted deliberative bodies, carried out their decisions, "heard civil and criminal suits in first instance", tried to ensure that the food supply would be adequate, visited markets.2
In the 16th century, Poitiers impressed visitors because of its large size, and important features, including "royal courts, university, prolific printing shops, wealthy religious institutions, cathedral, numerous parishes, markets, impressive domestic architecture, extensive fortifications, and castle."3
Poitiers is closely associated with the life of François Rabelais
François Rabelais
François Rabelais was a major French Renaissance writer, doctor, Renaissance humanist, monk and Greek scholar. He has historically been regarded as a writer of fantasy, satire, the grotesque, bawdy jokes and songs...
and with the community of Bitard
Bitard
The Bitard is a fabulous animal that is the symbol of the , a student association of University of Poitiers created in the 1920s. The members themselves are also called bitards and is some occasions they wear a cape colored according to their rank in the order and a faluche, the traditional French...
s.
17th century
The town saw less activity during the RenaissanceRenaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
. Few changes were made in the urban landscape, except for laying way or the rue de la Tranchée. Bridges were built were the inhabitants had used gués. A few hôtels particuliers
Hôtel particulier
In French contexts an hôtel particulier is an urban "private house" of a grand sort. Whereas an ordinary maison was built as part of a row, sharing party walls with the houses on either side and directly fronting on a street, an hôtel particulier was often free-standing, and by the 18th century it...
were built at that time, such as the hôtels Jean Baucé, Fumé and Berthelot. Poets Joachim du Bellay
Joachim du Bellay
Joachim du Bellay was a French poet, critic, and a member of the Pléiade.-Biography:He was born at the Château of La Turmelière, not far from Liré, near Angers, being the son of Jean du Bellay, Lord of Gonnor, first cousin of the cardinal Jean du Bellay and of Guillaume du Bellay.Both his parents...
and Pierre Ronsard met at the University of Poitiers
University of Poitiers
The University of Poitiers is a university in Poitiers, France. It is a member of the Coimbra Group.-History:Founded in 1431 by Pope Eugene IV and chartered by King Charles VII, the University of Poitiers was originally composed of five faculties: theology, canon law, civil law, medicine, and...
, before leaving for Paris.
Many Acadians or Cajuns living in North America can trace ancestry to this region as their ancestors left from here in the 17th century.
18th century
The city at this time lived mostly off of its administrative functions: royal justice, évêché, monasteries and the intendance of the Généralité du Poitou. The Vicomte de Blossac, intendant from 1750 to 1784, had a French garden landscaped. He also had Aliénor d'Aquitaine's wall razed and boulevardBoulevard
A Boulevard is type of road, usually a wide, multi-lane arterial thoroughfare, divided with a median down the centre, and roadways along each side designed as slow travel and parking lanes and for bicycle and pedestrian usage, often with an above-average quality of landscaping and scenery...
s built in its place
19th century
During the 19th century, many army bases were built in Poitiers because of its central and strategic location. Poitiers became a garrison townGarrison town
Garrison town may refer to* Garrison* Garrison community, poor, inner-city communities controlled by either of Jamaica's two main political parties...
, despite its distance from France's borders.
The train station was built in the 1850s.
20th century
Poitiers was bombed during World War II, particularly the area round the railway station which was heavily hit on 13 June 1944.During the late fifties until the late sixties when Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
ended the American military presence, the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force had an array of military installations in France, including a major Army logistics and communications hub in Poitiers, part of what was called the Communication Zone (ComZ), and consisting of a logistics headquarters and communications agency located at Aboville Caserne, a military compound situated on a hill above the city. Today, hundreds of graduates (called "Military Brats") of Poitiers American High School, a school operated by the Department of Defense School System (DODDS), have gone on to successful careers, including the recent commander-in-chief of U.S. Special Forces Command, Army General Bryan (Doug) Brown. The Caserne also housed a full support community, with a theater, commissary, recreation facilities and an affiliate radio station of the American Forces Network, Europe, headquartered in Frankfurt (now Mannheim), Germany.
The city benefited from industrial décentralisation
Décentralisation
Décentralisation is a french word for both a policy concept in French politics from 1968-1990, and a term employed to describe the results of observations of the evolution of spatial economic and institutional organization of France....
in the 1970s, for instance with the installation of Michelin
Michelin
Michelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France. It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world along with Bridgestone. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal tyre brands...
and Compagnie des compteurs Schlumberger
Schlumberger
Schlumberger Limited is the world's largest oilfield services company. Schlumberger employs over 110,000 people of more than 140 nationalities working in approximately 80 countries...
factories
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
during that decade.
The Futuroscope
Futuroscope
Futuroscope, or Parc du Futuroscope is a French theme park based upon multimedia, cinematographic futuroscope and audio-visual techniques...
theme park and research park project, built in 1986–1987 in nearby Chasseneuil-du-Poitou
Chasseneuil-du-Poitou
-External links:* *...
after an idea from René Monory
René Monory
René Monory was a French centre-right politician.-Biography:René Monory was born in Loudun and began his career as the owner of a garage. He was the founder of the Poitiers Futuroscope.Monory first became a Senator in 1968...
, established the city as a touristic
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
destination and opened it to the era of information technology.
Attractions
- Baptistère Saint-JeanBaptistère Saint-JeanThe Baptistère Saint-Jean is a religious edifice in Poitiers, France. It is reputed to be the oldest existing Christian building in France and one of the most prominent examples of Merovingian architecture.-Roman origins:...
(4th century) – the oldest church in France - Palace of PoitiersPalace of PoitiersThe Palace of Justice in Poitiers began its life as the seat of the Counts of Poitou and Dukes of Aquitaine in the tenth through twelfth centuries.- Origin :...
– the seat of the Dukes of Aquitaine - Église Notre-Dame-la-Grande – oldest romanesque architectureRomanesque architectureRomanesque 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 Europe - Cathédrale Saint-Pierre, Poitiers's cathedralCathedralA cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
(12th century) - Musée Sainte-CroixMusée Sainte-CroixThe Musée Sainte-Croix is the largest museum in Poitiers, France.Planned by architect Jean Monge and built in 1974, it stands at the site of the former Abbaye Sainte-Croix, which was moved to Saint-Benoît, Vienne...
, the largest museum in Poitiers - Église Sainte-Radegonde-de-PoitiersÉglise Sainte-Radegonde-de-PoitiersThe Église Sainte-Radegonde-de-Poitiers is a church in Poitiers, France.The church was named after Sainte Radegonde, who was buried in the church.-Source:*, Poitiers' town hall website...
- Église Saint-Hilaire-le-GrandÉglise Saint-Hilaire-le-GrandThe Église Saint-Hilaire-le-Grand is a church in Poitiers, France. It was named after Hilary of Poitiers .It dates back to the 11th century.Partially damaged during the French Revolution, it was rebuilt at the end of the 19th century....
(11th century) - Hypogée des DunesHypogée des DunesLHypogée des Dunes is an underground chapel in Poitiers, France....
(underground chapel) - Jardin des Plantes de PoitiersJardin des Plantes de PoitiersThe Jardin des Plantes de Poitiers is a municipal park and botanical garden located at 1 rue du Jardin des Plantes, Poitiers, Vienne, Poitou-Charentes, France...
, a park and botanical gardenBotanical gardenA botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names... - Église de MontierneufÉglise de MontierneufThe Church of Saint-Jean de Montierneuf is a Roman Catholic church in Poitiers, France.The church was built in the 11th century and is notable for its Romanesque architecture..It has been listed as a Monument historique since 1840.-Notes:...
- Parc du FuturoscopeFuturoscopeFuturoscope, or Parc du Futuroscope is a French theme park based upon multimedia, cinematographic futuroscope and audio-visual techniques...
(European Park of the Moving Image, some 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Poitiers; theme is visual communication technology in ultramodern buildings) - La Fanzinothèque
- Le Confort Moderne
Sport
The Stade PoitevinStade Poitevin
Poitiers Football Club is a French football team based in the city of Poitiers, which was established in 1921. Stade Poitevin spend the 1995–96 season in Ligue 2....
founded in 1900 is a multi sports club. It includes a volleyball team that play in Pro A, a basketball team, an amateur football team and also a professional rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
team (season 2008–2009).
The PB86
Poitiers Basket 86
Poitiers Basket 86 or PB86 is a French professional basketball team located in the city of Poitiers, capital of the Poitou-Charentes region, France. The club competes in the French Pro A league. The home game's are played at Salle de Saint-Eloi except for several matches played at Les Arênes...
for Poitiers Basket 86 plays in the proA league. Three Americans play there Rasheed Wright, Kenny Yougner and Tommy Gunn. The team has play the playoffs in 2009_2010 season and was the proB France Champion for the 2008–2009 season http://www.pb86.fr/ the communication of the team is recognize as one of the best in france basketball league.
Brian Joubert
Brian Joubert
Brian Joubert is a French figure skater. He is the 2007 World Champion, a three-time European champion, a seven-time French National champion, and the 2006-7 Grand Prix Final champion...
, the figure skating
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
champion, practices at Poitiers ice rink and lives with his family in the city.
Demography
Tourism
Historic churches, in particular Romanesque, are the main attraction of Poitiers itself.Poitiers' tourist industry has greatly benefited from the opening of the Futuroscope
Futuroscope
Futuroscope, or Parc du Futuroscope is a French theme park based upon multimedia, cinematographic futuroscope and audio-visual techniques...
in nearby Chasseneuil-du-Poitou
Chasseneuil-du-Poitou
-External links:* *...
in 1987. The city centre is visited in complement to the theme-park and benefits from a larger proportion of European tourists, notably from the United Kingdom.
Transport
Poitiers railway stationGare de Poitiers
The Gare de Poitiers is a major railway station in the French city of Poitiers, in the department of Vienne and region of Poitou-Charentes. The station is situated on the Paris–Bordeaux railway.-Services:...
is on the TGV Atlantique line between Paris and Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
. The station is in the valley to the west of the old town centre. Services run 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...
, 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 La Rochelle
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
in addition to Paris and Bordeaux. The direct TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
puts Poitiers 1h40 from Paris' Gare Montparnasse
Gare Montparnasse
Paris Montparnasse is one of the six large terminus railway stations of Paris, located in the Montparnasse area in the XIVe arrondissement. The station was opened in 1840, and rebuilt completely in 1969...
.
Poitiers - Biard Airport is located 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) west of Poitiers with flights to Lyon-Saint Exupéry, London-Stansted and Birmingham.
Urban transport is provided by the company Vitalis. Transport in the region are provided by the TER Poitou-Charentes
TER Poitou-Charentes
TER Poitou-Charentes the regional rail network serving the Poitou-Charentes région, France.- Rail :- Road :* Angoulême - Jonzac* Poitiers - Parthenay - Bressuire - Cholet - Nantes* Thouars - Loudun - Chinon...
(regional express train). Transportation in the department of 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,...
is assured by the car "ligne en Vienne".
From January 2009 to December 2012, the town centre circulation will go through deep changes called "Projet Coeur d'Agglo". This project focuses on new ways of thinking about the way people use cars to access the town centre and as an everyday way of transportation. Since 29 September 2010, cars are forbidden to use the access to 12 new streets. Finally, a new line of fast buses will be added around 2017.
Education
The city of Poitiers has a very old university tradition. The University of PoitiersUniversity of Poitiers
The University of Poitiers is a university in Poitiers, France. It is a member of the Coimbra Group.-History:Founded in 1431 by Pope Eugene IV and chartered by King Charles VII, the University of Poitiers was originally composed of five faculties: theology, canon law, civil law, medicine, and...
was established in 1431 and welcomed many famous thinkers ( François Rabelais
François Rabelais
François Rabelais was a major French Renaissance writer, doctor, Renaissance humanist, monk and Greek scholar. He has historically been regarded as a writer of fantasy, satire, the grotesque, bawdy jokes and songs...
; René Descartes
René Descartes
René Descartes ; was a French philosopher and writer who spent most of his adult life in the Dutch Republic. He has been dubbed the 'Father of Modern Philosophy', and much subsequent Western philosophy is a response to his writings, which are studied closely to this day...
; Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Albans, KC was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist, author and pioneer of the scientific method. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England...
). It is the second oldest university in France. Poitiers is nowadays one of the biggest student cities in France; it has more students per inhabitant than any other city in France. There are more than 27,000 university students, nearly 4000 of them foreigners, from 117 countries. The University covers all major fields such as sciences, geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
, history, languages. It also has engineering (ENSMA; ESIP) and business (ESCEM; IAE
Institut d'Administration des Entreprises
The French "Instituts d'Administration des Entreprises" or "IAE" are graduate schools of management which are components of French universities with more financial and recruiting freedom....
) schools.
The law degree
Law degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
is one of the best in France, rank 2nd by Etudiant magazine in 2005.
Since 2001, the city of Poitiers has hosted the first cycle of "South America, Spain and Portugal" from the Paris Institute of Political Studies.
Twin towns – Sister cities
Poitiers is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
| Northampton Northampton Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is... , United Kingdom Marburg Marburg Marburg is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany, on the River Lahn. It is the main town of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district and its population, as of March 2010, was 79,911.- Founding and early history :... , Germany Lafayette, Louisiana Lafayette, Louisiana Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census... , United States |
Coimbra Coimbra Coimbra is a city in the municipality of Coimbra in Portugal. Although it served as the nation's capital during the High Middle Ages, it is better-known for its university, the University of Coimbra, which is one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the... , Portugal Yaroslavl Yaroslavl Yaroslavl is a city and the administrative center of Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, located northeast of Moscow. The historical part of the city, a World Heritage Site, is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Kotorosl Rivers. It is one of the Golden Ring cities, a group of historic cities... , Russia Iaşi Iasi Iași is the second most populous city and a municipality in Romania. Located in the historical Moldavia region, Iași has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Romanian social, cultural, academic and artistic life... , Romania |
Azrou Azrou Azrou is a small Moroccan city 89 kilometers south of Fez, in the Meknès-Tafilalet region.-Geography:Azrou, which means rock in the indigenous Tamazight Berber language, is located in the heart of The Middle Atlas region of Morocco between Meknes, Fez, Ifrane, Midelt and Khenifra. The N13 road... , Morocco Moundou Moundou Moundou is the second largest city in Chad, and is the capital of the region of Logone Occidental.The city lies on the Logone River some 475 kilometres south of the capital N'Djamena. It is the main city of the Ngambai people... , Chad Eggelsberg Eggelsberg Eggelsberg is a municipality in the district Braunau am Inn in Upper Austria, Austria.It includes the Katastralgemeinden Gundertshausen, Heimhausen, Haselreith and Ibm.-References:... , Austria |
Personalities
This is a list of people of interest who were born or resided in Poitiers:- St. Hilary (315–367), elected bishop of Poitiers around the year 350, exiled and returned to die there
- Charles MartelCharles MartelCharles Martel , also known as Charles the Hammer, was a Frankish military and political leader, who served as Mayor of the Palace under the Merovingian kings and ruled de facto during an interregnum at the end of his life, using the title Duke and Prince of the Franks. In 739 he was offered the...
, French general who defeated the Muslim UmayyadUmayyadThe Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
army in the Battle of ToursBattle of ToursThe Battle of Tours , also called the Battle of Poitiers and in Battle of the Court of the Martyrs, was fought in an area between the cities of Poitiers and Tours, located in north-central France, near the village of Moussais-la-Bataille, about northeast of Poitiers...
in 732 - François RabelaisFrançois RabelaisFrançois Rabelais was a major French Renaissance writer, doctor, Renaissance humanist, monk and Greek scholar. He has historically been regarded as a writer of fantasy, satire, the grotesque, bawdy jokes and songs...
, RenaissanceRenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
writer and humanistHumanismHumanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism.... - Pope Clement VPope Clement VPope Clement V, born Raymond Bertrand de Got was Pope from 1305 to his death...
- St. Venantius Fortunatus, 6th-century LatinLatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
poet and hymnHymnA hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
odist and Bishop in the Roman Catholic Church - BlessedBeatificationBeatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
Marie Louise TrichetMarie Louise TrichetBlessed Marie Louise Trichet also known as Marie-Louise de Jésus was a French Catholic figure who, with Saint Louis de Montfort, founded the Congregation of religious women called Daughters of Wisdom and since the age of seventeen devoted her life to caring for the poor and the sick. She is also... - René DescartesRené DescartesRené Descartes ; was a French philosopher and writer who spent most of his adult life in the Dutch Republic. He has been dubbed the 'Father of Modern Philosophy', and much subsequent Western philosophy is a response to his writings, which are studied closely to this day...
studied law at the University of Poitiers - Saint Louis de MontfortLouis de MontfortSt. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort was canonized in 1947. He was a French priest and known in his time as a preacher and author, whose books, still widely read, have influenced a number of popes....
- Camille GuérinCamille GuérinJean-Marie Camille Guérin was a French veterinarian, bacteriologist and immunologist who, together with Albert Calmette, developed the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin , a vaccine for immunization against tuberculosis....
, born in Poitiers in 1872, discovered a vaccineVaccineA vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...
against tuberculosisTuberculosisTuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
with Albert CalmetteAlbert CalmetteLéon Charles Albert Calmette ForMemRS was a French physician, bacteriologist and immunologist, and an important officer of the Pasteur Institute. He discovered the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin, an attenuated form of Mycobacterium used in the BCG vaccine against tuberculosis...
in 1924 - Michel FoucaultMichel FoucaultMichel Foucault , born Paul-Michel Foucault , was a French philosopher, social theorist and historian of ideas...
, French philosopher - Joël RobuchonJoël RobuchonJoël Robuchon is a French chef and restaurateur. He was titled "Chef of the Century" by the guide Gault Millau in 1989 and also awarded the Meilleur Ouvrier de France in cuisine in 1976...
, born in Poitiers in 1945, French chefChefA chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
and restaurateurRestaurateurA restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of the restaurant business.-Etymology:The word... - Brian JoubertBrian JoubertBrian Joubert is a French figure skater. He is the 2007 World Champion, a three-time European champion, a seven-time French National champion, and the 2006-7 Grand Prix Final champion...
, French ice skatingIce skatingIce skating is moving on ice by using ice skates. It can be done for a variety of reasons, including leisure, traveling, and various sports. Ice skating occurs both on specially prepared indoor and outdoor tracks, as well as on naturally occurring bodies of frozen water, such as lakes and...
championChampionA champion is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition.There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, and even further divisions at one or more of these levels, as in soccer. Their champions... - Jean-Pierre RaffarinJean-Pierre RaffarinJean-Pierre Raffarin is a French conservative politician and senator for Vienne.Jean-Pierre Raffarin served as the Prime Minister of France from 6 May 2002 to 31 May 2005, resigning after France's rejection of the referendum on the European Union draft constitution. However, after Raffarin...
, French politician and senator for VienneVienneVienne 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,...
, former Prime Minister of FrancePrime Minister of FranceThe Prime Minister of France in the Fifth Republic is the head of government and of the Council of Ministers of France. The head of state is the President of the French Republic...
(2002–2005) - Jean-Pierre ThiolletJean-Pierre ThiolletJean-Pierre Thiollet is a French writer and journalist. He usually lives in Paris and is the author of numerous books.Since 2007, he has been a member of the World Grand Family of Lebanon ....
, born in Poitiers in 1956, French author - Florence Largeau, singer, famous for her rendition of the ageless French classic song le Connemara.
- Michel AcoMichel AcoMichel Aco was a French explorer who, along with René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle and Father Louis Hennepin, explored the Mississippi River. Aco became La Salle's lieutenant because of his knowledge of Native American languages and his abilities as an explorer...
, the explorer, was born in Poitiers. - Mahyar MonshipourMahyar MonshipourMahyar Monshipour is an Iranian-born French boxer who was the World Boxing Association's super bantamweight champion for nearly three years between 2003 and 2006...
, Ex World Boxing AssociationWorld Boxing AssociationThe World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
Super bantamweight champion in 2003–2006. - Francis N'GangaFrancis N'GangaFrancis N'Ganga is a French-Congolese football player who is currently playing for Tours FC.Trivia:* His debut in the national team was on 7 September 2008 in Brazzaville vs. Mali.-External links:*...
footballer - Maryse Ewanje-EpeeMaryse Ewanjé-EpéeMaryse Ewanjé-Epée is a retired high jumper from France, who set her personal best on July 21, 1985, jumping 1.96 metres at a meet in Colombes. She competed for her native country in two consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1984 , where she finished in fourth place...
athlete - Monique Ewanje-EpeeMonique Ewanje-EpeeMonique Ewanje-Epee is a French athlete who specialises in the 100 meter hurdles,her sister Maryse Ewanje-Epee also competed in the olympics. Ewanje-Epee competed in the women's 100 meter hurdles at the 1988 Summer Olympics,1992 Summer Olympics and 1996 Summer Olympics.- References :...
athlete - Elsa N'GuessanElsa N'GuessanElsa N'Guessan is a female freestyle swimmer from France, who competed for her native country at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.- References :*...
swimmer - Bruce InkangoBruce InkangoBruce Pascal Inkango is a French-born professional football player, who most recently was contracted to English club Gillingham...
footballer - Tina Mernik famous dancer from sloveniaSloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
External links
- Official website of the City of Poitiers.
- website CAP.
- Prefecture of the Vienne.
- Official website Vitalis (Urban Transportation).
- Official website Ligne en Vienne (Vienne transpotation).
- Official website TER Poitou-Charentes.
- Official Website of the train station in Poitiers.
- Site of the Tourist Office of Poitiers.
- The University of Poitiers website.
- Poitiers – History, Churches, Streets and Museum