Saint-Pardoux-la-Rivière (; oc, Sent Pardon la Ribiera) is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the

Dordogne Dordogne ( , or ; ; oc, Dordonha ) is a large rural department in Southwestern France, with its prefecture in Périgueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and the Pyrenees, it is name ...

department in

Nouvelle-Aquitaine Nouvelle-Aquitaine (; oc, Nòva Aquitània or ; eu, Akitania Berria; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Novéle-Aguiéne'') is the largest administrative region in France, spanning the west and southwest of the mainland. The region was created by ...

in southwestern France. It forms part of the

Parc naturel régional Périgord Limousin The Parc naturel régional Périgord Limousin (or Périgord Limousin Regional Natural Park) was created March 9, 1998. It consists of 78 communes situated in the Dordogne and Haute Vienne départements. The park has a surface area of 1,800 square ...

Etymology

The Occitan is derived from ''Saint Pardulphus'' (), means 'the river', i.e. the

Dronne The Dronne (, also , ; oc, Drona) is a long river in southwestern France, right tributary of the Isle. Its source is in the north-western Massif Central, east of the town of Châlus (south-west of Limoges) at an elevation of . It flows south-wes ...

Geography

Saint-Pardoux-la-Rivière is surrounded by the following communes: * Champs-Romain in the north. * Saint-Saud-Lacoussière in the northeast. * Milhac-de-Nontron in the southeast. * Saint-Front-la-Rivière in the south. * Sceau-Saint-Angel in the west. *

Nontron Nontron (; oc, Nontronh ) is a commune in the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. History The name Nontron probably derives from the Gallo-Roman personal name ''Nantironius''. Over time, the placename has been spel ...

in the northwest. * Savignac-de-Nontron in the northwest (the communes only touch at a single point). Besides the village center the commune of Saint-Pardoux-la-Rivière comprises the following hamlets: ''Beaumont'', ''Bon Ombre'', ''Bordessoule'', ''Bos-Brûlat'', ''Brande'', ''Brin'', ''Chaumeille'', ''Chez Bathe'', ''Chez Boissard'', ''Chez Boutard'', ''Chez Neymard'', ''Jamaye'', ''La Briderie'', ''La Dorie'', ''La Font du Prince'', ''La Grange'', ''La Nanotte'', ''La Plassade'', ''Langlade'', ''Lapeyronnie'', ''Le Buisson'', ''Le Châtenet'', ''Le Clos'', ''Le Couvent'', ''Le Maine'', ''Le Mandereau'', ''Le Queyroi'', ''Le Petit Villars'', ''Les Batisses'', ''Les Combes'', ''Les Granges'', ''Les Rebières'', ''Les Roches'', ''Lescure'', ''Maliba'', ''Négrecombe'', ''Neuil'', ''Noujarède'', ''Puy d'Arnac'', and ''Puypelat''. The commune's territory is traversed roughly centrally by the River

. The northern boundary to Champs-Romain is formed by the river, which is occupying a narrow canyon. After initially following a southwesterly direction it then swings to the south. Before reaching the village the valley widens. Alongside a ford over the river Saint-Pardoux was founded. A right tributary of the Dronne, the ''Ruisseau de Lachenaud'', forms the western continuation of the northern boundary to Champs-Romain. Its course is directed to the southeast. Near the center of Saint-Pardoux the Dronne receives a left tributary, the ''Ruisseau de Chantres''. The topographically lowest point in the commune with 132 meters above sea level is situated at the southern exit of the Dronne near ''Jamaye'', the highest point with 332 meters above sea level near ''Bos Brûlat'' in the very northeastern corner.

Geology

The commune's territory is divided into two contrasting domains by two crossing

fault lines In geology, a fault is a planar fracture or discontinuity in a volume of rock across which there has been significant displacement as a result of rock-mass movements. Large faults within Earth's crust result from the action of plate tectonic ...

(N 065 and N 160). To the north and east of these faults one encounters the Variscan basement rocks of the northwestern

Massif Central The (; oc, Massís Central, ; literally ''"Central Massif"'') is a highland region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaus. It covers about 15% of mainland France. Subject to volcanism that has subsided in the last 10,0 ...

, which also stand out topographically. The southern lowlands around the village center are occupied by

sediment Sediment is a naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of wind, water, or ice or by the force of gravity acting on the particles. For example, sa ...

s of the northern

Aquitaine Basin The Aquitaine Basin is the second largest Mesozoic and Cenozoic sedimentary basin in France after the Paris Basin, occupying a large part of the country's southwestern quadrant. Its surface area covers 66,000 km2 onshore. It formed on Varisca ...

. Along the border faults the basement rocks were raised relative to the sedimentary cover. The oldest unit of the basement rocks are

Neoproterozoic The Neoproterozoic Era is the unit of geologic time from 1 billion to 538.8 million years ago. It is the last era of the Precambrian Supereon and the Proterozoic Eon; it is subdivided into the Tonian, Cryogenian, and Ediacaran periods. It is prec ...

mica schist Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock showing pronounced schistosity. This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a low-power hand lens, oriented in such a way that the rock is easily split into thin flakes ...

of the Parautochthonous Mica schist Unit (''PMU''). They can be seen in the east near ''Chantres'' and ''Le Châtenet''. They were intruded during the Pennsylvanian by the Saint-Mathieu Leucogranite. The

leucogranite Leucogranite is a light-colored, granitic, igneous rock containing almost no dark minerals. Alaskite is a synonym.Plagioclase Plagioclase is a series of tectosilicate (framework silicate) minerals within the feldspar group. Rather than referring to a particular mineral with a specific chemical composition, plagioclase is a continuous solid solution series, more pro ...

-bearing

paragneiss Gneiss ( ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. Gneiss forms at higher temperatures an ...

es. In some places these are intruded by small

granodiorite Granodiorite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock similar to granite, but containing more plagioclase feldspar than orthoclase feldspar. The term banatite is sometimes used informally for various rocks ranging from gr ...

bodies belonging to the Piégut-Pluviers Granodiorite or by

leptynite Granulites are a class of high-grade metamorphic rocks of the granulite facies that have experienced high-temperature and moderate-pressure metamorphism. They are medium to coarse–grained and mainly composed of feldspars sometimes associate ...

s of

Ordovician The Ordovician ( ) is a geologic period and system, the second of six periods of the Paleozoic Era. The Ordovician spans 41.6 million years from the end of the Cambrian Period million years ago (Mya) to the start of the Silurian Period Mya. T ...

age. The flat-lying sediments surrounding the village center are mainly of

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of ...

age and comprise

Lias Lias may refer to: Geology * Lias Formation, a geologic formation in France *Lias Group, a lithostratigraphic unit in western Europe * Early Jurassic, an epoch People * Godfrey Lias, British author * Mohd Shamsudin Lias (born 1953), Malaysian ...

as well as Dogger

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

s. The Lias is composed of Hettangian (

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...

s, coarse sandstones and conglomerates),

Sinemurian In the geologic timescale, the Sinemurian is an age and stage in the Early or Lower Jurassic Epoch or Series. It spans the time between 199.3 ± 2 Ma and 190.8 ± 1.5 Ma (million years ago). The Sinemurian is preceded by the Hettangian and ...

( oolithic limestones, sometimes

dolomitic Dolomite () is an anhydrous carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate, ideally The term is also used for a sedimentary carbonate rock composed mostly of the mineral dolomite. An alternative name sometimes used for the dolomiti ...

) and

Toarcian The Toarcian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, an age and stage in the Early or Lower Jurassic. It spans the time between 182.7 Ma (million years ago) and 174.1 Ma. It follows the Pliensbachian and is followed by the Aalenian. The Toarcian ...

( claystones and grey marls). Near the border faults the Lias can be

silicified In geology, petrifaction or petrification () is the process by which organic material becomes a fossil through the replacement of the original material and the filling of the original pore spaces with minerals. Petrified wood typifies this proce ...

. The Toarcian clays were once quarried by a (now redundant) tile factory. The Dogger consists of cryptocrystalline limestones, bioclastic limestones and oolithic limestones spanning the period Upper Bajocian and

Bathonian In the geologic timescale the Bathonian is an age and stage of the Middle Jurassic. It lasted from approximately 168.3 Ma to around 166.1 Ma (million years ago). The Bathonian Age succeeds the Bajocian Age and precedes the Callovian Age. Str ...

. Close to the border faults crop out the so-called (iron-rich, reddish, clayey

sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class o ...

s) and solidified, conglomeratic

alluvial deposits Alluvium (from Latin ''alluvius'', from ''alluere'' 'to wash against') is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluv ...

. Both formations are most likely of

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', " ...

age. All the aforementioned sedimentary units can be covered by

colluvial Colluvium (also colluvial material or colluvial soil) is a general name for loose, unconsolidated sediments that have been deposited at the base of hillslopes by either rainwash, sheetwash, slow continuous downslope creep, or a variable combinati ...

gravels of

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was finally confirmed in ...

age. In the Dronne valley gravelly terrasses belonging to the

Mindel stage The Mindel glaciation (german: Mindel-Kaltzeit, also ''Mindel-Glazial'', ''Mindel-Komplex'' or, colloquially, ''Mindel-Eiszeit'') is the third youngest glacial stage in the Alps. Its name was coined by Albrecht Penck and Eduard Brückner, who na ...

and the Würm stage can be observed. Limestone debris mantelling certain hill slopes is due to gelifraction processes during the last

ice age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gre ...

. Worth mentioning are certain

mineral In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. (2 ...

occurrences like

silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

-bearing galena in the paragneisses or baryte mainly within the Lias. Occasional

tourmaline Tourmaline ( ) is a crystalline silicate mineral group in which boron is compounded with elements such as aluminium, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium, or potassium. Tourmaline is a gemstone and can be found in a wide variety of colors. The te ...

can also be found in the paragneisses.

Manganese Manganese is a chemical element with the symbol Mn and atomic number 25. It is a hard, brittle, silvery metal, often found in minerals in combination with iron. Manganese is a transition metal with a multifaceted array of industrial alloy use ...

(manganese dioxide) associated with

nontronite Nontronite is the iron(III) rich member of the smectite group of clay minerals. Nontronites typically have a chemical composition consisting of more than ~30% Fe2 O3 and less than ~12% Al2O3 (ignited basis). Nontronite has very few economic de ...

was once mined near ''Le Mandereau''. The Neuil mine, situated in the paragneisses, contains apart from galena and baryte the minerals

chalcopyrite Chalcopyrite ( ) is a copper iron sulfide mineral and the most abundant copper ore mineral. It has the chemical formula CuFeS2 and crystallizes in the tetragonal system. It has a brassy to golden yellow color and a hardness of 3.5 to 4 on the Mo ...

gypsum Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula . It is widely mined and is used as a fertilizer and as the main constituent in many forms of plaster, blackboard or sidewalk chalk, and drywal ...

marcasite The mineral marcasite, sometimes called “white iron pyrite”, is iron sulfide (FeS2) with orthorhombic crystal structure. It is physically and crystallographically distinct from pyrite, which is iron sulfide with cubic crystal structure. Both ...

pyrite The mineral pyrite (), or iron pyrite, also known as fool's gold, is an iron sulfide with the chemical formula Fe S2 (iron (II) disulfide). Pyrite is the most abundant sulfide mineral. Pyrite's metallic luster and pale brass-yellow hue giv ...

pyromorphite Pyromorphite is a mineral species composed of lead chlorophosphate: Pb5( P O4)3 Cl, sometimes occurring in sufficient abundance to be mined as an ore of lead. Crystals are common, and have the form of a hexagonal prism terminated by the basal pl ...

and sphalerite.

History

Between the 13th century and the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

there was once a

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...

in Saint-Pardoux-la-Rivière. Hardly anything is left of it now, because most of its building stones were used in the construction of the village. The church goes back to the 17th and 18th centuries. It underwent extensive renovation during the 19th century with the steeple being completely rebuilt. The Château de Vaugoubert at the Dronne also goes back to the 17th century. From an even older castle only the round tower is left.

Population

The population of Saint-Pardoux-la-Rivière has decreased continuously till 1999 (25% decrease), but seems to recover somewhat since then.

Mayor

The mayor of Saint-Pardoux-la-Rivière is since 2001 Maurice Combeau, a pensioner who is not affiliated with any political party.

Sights

* The church of Saint-Pardoux-la-Rivière with its sun dial. * The postcard museum. It has a vast collection of postcards from the

Périgord Périgord ( , ; ; oc, Peiregòrd / ) is a natural region and former province of France, which corresponds roughly to the current Dordogne department, now forming the northern part of the administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It is div ...

dating back to the years 1898–1920.