Airvault

Airvault is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. It is located on the River Thouet.

Airvault
Commune
The church in Airvault
Coat of arms
Location of Airvault
Airvault
Airvault
Coordinates: 46°49′38″N 0°08′11″W
CountryFrance
RegionNouvelle-Aquitaine
DepartmentDeux-Sèvres
ArrondissementParthenay
CantonLe Val de Thouet
IntercommunalityAirvaudais-Val du Thouet
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Olivier Fouillet
Area
1
63.88 km2 (24.66 sq mi)
Population
 (Jan. 2017)[1]
3,281
 • Density51/km2 (130/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
79005 /79600
Elevation67–140 m (220–459 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
Fortified gate

The inhabitants of Airvault are the Airvaudais and the Airvaudaises.

On 1 January 2019, the former commune of Tessonnière was merged into Airvault.[2]

Historical sites
The subterranean fountain

A Romanesque bridge over the Thouet leads into the town. The Saint Pierre church in the center of town was built around 975 AD by Aldéarde, the wife of viscount Herbert I of Thouars. Rebuilt in the 11th and 12th centuries, the church was used as a stop for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. An underground fountain is located under the square in front of the church. One block from the church is the abbey, which houses a museum of traditional arts and crafts. In the vicinity of the church, timber-framed houses border narrow medieval streets. A medieval castle, the Château d'Airvault, overlooks the church.

Trivia

François-Marie Arouet might have chosen his pen name, Voltaire, by inverting the syllables of the word “Airvault”. Although this is largely unsubstantiated, one of Voltaire's parents allegedly owned property in the area.[3]

Airvault hosts a yearly didgeridoo festival.

See also

References
  1. "Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  2. Arrêté préfectoral (in French). 6 December 2018.
  3. Wade, Ida Owen. Voltaire's Name. PMLA, Vol. 44, No. 2. (Jun., 1929), pp. 546–564.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.