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Surgères
Surgères () is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department, southwestern France. It is the home of the Surgères 48 Hour Race. History Middle ages The site of Surgères was occupied in Neolithic times, but the earliest recorded history comes from the Middle Ages. The Duke of Aquitaine wanted to guard his lands in Aunis against Norman invasion, so he built a stone and wood defence on the marshes, a bridgehead against the invaders which was known as la, Castrum Surgeriacum, links=no. At the end of the 10th century, the Counts of Poitiers started to acquire power in Aunis and appointed Guillaume Maingot to take charge of the fortress and part of the lands around it. In the 12th century this defence had become a small city, whose lords entertained the grandees of the parliament of Saintonge. During this time a large castle was built on the ramparts, as was the Romanesque church of Notre-Dame. In 1152 Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry II of England, thus putting her lands inclu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 (Châtelaillon) the historic capital which gives its name to the province. It was a fief of the Duchy of Aquitaine. It extended to Marais Poitevin in the north, Basse Saintonge (and Niortais) in the east, and Rochefortais in the south. Aunis had an influence approximately 20–25 km into the Isle of Ré (''l'Île de Ré''). The province was officially recognised during the reign of Charles V of France in 1374: "''In 1374, Charles V separated La Rochelle from Saintonge to set up a provincial government, comprising the jurisdictions of Rochefort, Marennes and, for a time, Benon. It was thus that Aunis legally became a separate province.''" Aunis was the smallest province in France, in terms of area. Nowadays it is a part of the Charente-Maritime ''département'' together with Saintonge. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
