Tigné () is a small village, administratively a former ''commune'', in the
Maine-et-Loire
Maine-et-Loire () is a department in the Loire Valley in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France. It is named after the two rivers, Maine and the Loire. It borders Mayenne and Sarthe to the north, Loire-Atlantique to the west, Indre-e ...
department
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
in western
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. On January 1, 2016 it became a delegated ''commune'' within the new ''commune'' of
Lys-Haut-Layon
Lys-Haut-Layon () is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department of western France. The municipality was established on 1 January 2016 and consists of the former communes of Vihiers (including Saint-Hilaire-du-Bois and Le Voide), Les Cerqueux-sou ...
.Arrêté préfectoral 18 December 2015 Wines produced in the commune carry the protected name Coteaux-du-Layon.
Geography
The commune is traversed by the river
Layon
The Layon () is a long river in the Deux-Sèvres and Maine-et-Loire departments in western France. Its source is near Saint-Maurice-la-Fougereuse. It flows generally northwest. It is a left tributary of the Loire, into which it flows near Chal ...
on its north side. The river creates a natural boundary with the neighboring village, Martigné-Briand. It is located in the "''Couloir du Layon''", a geographical area composed of winelands along the
Layon
The Layon () is a long river in the Deux-Sèvres and Maine-et-Loire departments in western France. Its source is near Saint-Maurice-la-Fougereuse. It flows generally northwest. It is a left tributary of the Loire, into which it flows near Chal ...
river, a tributary of the Loire. Attached administratively to Saumur, Tigné borders the ''Pays des Mauges'' and the ''Saumurois''.
Population
The village currently has about 770 inhabitants.
Cultural and architectural heritage
Buildings in Tigné classified as Historical Monuments:
* Chapelle Sainte-Anne, 12 and 17th centuries, registered Historical Monument by Ministerial Order of 17 July 1926.
* Château du Grand-Riou, registered Historical Monument by Ministerial Order of 19 May 1988 for the remaining ruins. Built in the 15th century and partially destroyed by fire in 1792, the château remains in ruins.
* Manoir Saint-Jacques Saint-Jean, la Roche Coutant, 16th and 17th centuries, registered Historical Monument by Ministerial Order of 23 January 1989.
Other buildings of historical and cultural interest:
* Château de Tigné, château and winelands from the 14th and 19th centuries, property of the French actor and winemaker Gérard Depardieu since 1989.
* Eglise Saint-Pierre, Roman Catholic Church built between 1860 and 1863. Its stained glass windows are a major feature.