Saintonge
Encyclopedia
Saintonge is a small region on the Atlantic
coast of France within the département Charente-Maritime
, west and south of Charente
in the administrative region of Poitou-Charentes
.
It derives its name from the ancient Gallic
tribe of the Santones
who lived in this area, around the current city of Saintes
.
The Saintonge was the center of the French Huguenot
s. Today, the region is famous for its production of the grapes that are used to produce cognac
and Pineau des Charentes
.
It was the birthplace of the explorer Jean Allefonsce and Samuel de Champlain
who founded Quebec
.
Saintongeais
(patouê saintonjhouê, jhabrail) Patois Charentais is spoken in the former provinces of Aunis
, and Saintonge Angoumois
These shards are from vessels made and exported as a by-product of the Bordeaux wine trade (Deroeux and Dufournier, 1991).
They consist of an off-white mica
ceous fabric with moderate amounts of quartz
and sparse inclusions of haematite. They are glaze
d on the external surface only, with a clear lead glaze. In Saintonge Green wares the addition of copper filings produces a mottled mid-green colouring. Many forms of Saintonge wares were produced, including Saintonge Polychrome, Saintonge Green, and in some cases unglazed wares.
The most common forms of vessel produced in this ware were wine jugs. These were characteristically tall, with slightly ovoid bodies, flat bases, parrot-beak spouts and strap handles.
This ware has been found on Irish excavations from the later 12th century but it is most commonly uncovered in 13th century contexts.
Saintonge was exported well through the 17 century. Acadians and French colonialists in Quebec and Eastern Canada imported many Saintonge ceramics, including bowls, plates, mugs and other types. Many Saintonge ceramic fragments have been found in context with 17 century colonialists and are often used as a evidence of pre-British occupation of these areas. Slipped Saintonge is more consistent in colour and appearance than unslipped, having the benefit of an undercoating to regulate the process. The green colour of Saintonge comes from Copper oxide, added to the clear lead glaze finish.
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
coast of France within the département Charente-Maritime
Charente-Maritime
Charente-Maritime is a department on the west coast of France named after the Charente River.- History :Previously a part of Saintonge, Charente-Inférieure was one of the 83 original departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
, west and south of 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...
in the administrative region of 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...
.
It derives its name from the ancient Gallic
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
tribe of the Santones
Santones
The Santones or Santoni were a tribe of ancient Gaul located in the modern region of Saintonge and around the city of Saintes, city to which they gave their name. The Romans occupied the territory of the Santones from the 1st century BC....
who lived in this area, around the current city of Saintes
Saintes
Saintes is a French commune located in Poitou-Charentes, in the southwestern Charente-Maritime department of which it is a sub-prefecture. Its inhabitants are called Saintaises and Saintais....
.
The Saintonge was the center of the French Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
s. Today, the region is famous for its production of the grapes that are used to produce cognac
Cognac (drink)
Cognac , named after the town of Cognac in France, is a variety of brandy. It is produced in the wine-growing region surrounding the town from which it takes its name, in the French Departements of Charente and Charente-Maritime....
and Pineau des Charentes
Pineau des Charentes
Pineau des Charentes, is a regional French aperitif, made in the départements of Charente, Charente-Maritime and, to a much lesser extent, Dordogne in western France...
.
It was the birthplace of the explorer Jean Allefonsce and Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain , "The Father of New France", was a French navigator, cartographer, draughtsman, soldier, explorer, geographer, ethnologist, diplomat, and chronicler. He founded New France and Quebec City on July 3, 1608....
who founded Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
.
Saintongeais
Saintongeais
Saintongeais is a dialect spoken halfway down the western coast of France in the former provinces of Saintonge, Aunis and Angoumois, all of which have been incorporated into the current départements of Charente and Charente-Maritime as well as in parts of their neighbouring départements of...
(patouê saintonjhouê, jhabrail) Patois Charentais is spoken in the former provinces of Aunis
Aunis
Aunis is a historical province of France, situated in the north-west of the department of Charente-Maritime. Its historic capital is La Rochelle, which took over from Castrum Allionis the historic capital which gives its name to the province....
, and Saintonge Angoumois
Pottery
This area is also famous for its widely exported medieval pottery, shards of which are found in large quantities on medieval excavations throughout Ireland and other European countries.These shards are from vessels made and exported as a by-product of the Bordeaux wine trade (Deroeux and Dufournier, 1991).
They consist of an off-white mica
Mica
The mica group of sheet silicate minerals includes several closely related materials having highly perfect basal cleavage. All are monoclinic, with a tendency towards pseudohexagonal crystals, and are similar in chemical composition...
ceous fabric with moderate amounts of quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
and sparse inclusions of haematite. They are glaze
Ceramic glaze
Glaze is a layer or coating of a vitreous substance which has been fired to fuse to a ceramic object to color, decorate, strengthen or waterproof it.-Use:...
d on the external surface only, with a clear lead glaze. In Saintonge Green wares the addition of copper filings produces a mottled mid-green colouring. Many forms of Saintonge wares were produced, including Saintonge Polychrome, Saintonge Green, and in some cases unglazed wares.
The most common forms of vessel produced in this ware were wine jugs. These were characteristically tall, with slightly ovoid bodies, flat bases, parrot-beak spouts and strap handles.
This ware has been found on Irish excavations from the later 12th century but it is most commonly uncovered in 13th century contexts.
Saintonge was exported well through the 17 century. Acadians and French colonialists in Quebec and Eastern Canada imported many Saintonge ceramics, including bowls, plates, mugs and other types. Many Saintonge ceramic fragments have been found in context with 17 century colonialists and are often used as a evidence of pre-British occupation of these areas. Slipped Saintonge is more consistent in colour and appearance than unslipped, having the benefit of an undercoating to regulate the process. The green colour of Saintonge comes from Copper oxide, added to the clear lead glaze finish.