Saint-Front-la-Rivière is a commune

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.

This pretty village has a twelfth-century church, a bar, petrol station, school and a post office. It also has 4 château

Château

A château is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally—and still most frequently—in French-speaking regions...

x, medieval to nineteenth century. There are also the ruins of the Du Barry family château, dating to the time of François I

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 Du Barrys were implicated in a plot to overthrow the monarch during 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...

.

Chazelles, one of St Front's surrounding hamlets was a mint in Gallo-Roman times, before the village came into being.

Population

Economy

In the 19th century St Front had a good reputation for the quality of its wine. There remain a few private vineyards but no commercial activity. An important contributor to the village's growth was the steam tram linking Saint Front to 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...

, the administrative capital of the Dordogne, to Brantôme

Brantôme

Brantôme 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...

 and the railway at Saint-Pardoux-la-Rivière

Saint-Pardoux-la-Rivière

Saint-Pardoux-la-Rivière , in occitan Sent Pardol la Ribiera, is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France. It forms part of the Parc naturel régional Périgord Limousin.- Etymology :...

. Apart from agriculture, St Front was the manufacturing headquarters of an important picture frame manufacturer. The factory, which was the last big local employer, closed at the start of this century

Saint-Front-la-Rivière today

The village is currently enjoying a small housing boom with many new-builds. The new owners are a mixture of locals and incomers from the Périgord but also British and Dutch. Village social life is driven by the bar, "Auberge de la Dronne", a few associations and the . Each year there is a Loto day, Boules competition, a flea market with children's funfair, farmers' markets and a cycle race "Les Boucles de la Dronne". Guests in 2009 include veteran Tour de France champions and the race attracts many cycling pros.