Aulnay, Charente-Maritime

Aulnay, commonly referred to as Aulnay-de-Saintonge (), is a commune in Charente-Maritime, a department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region (before 2015: Poitou-Charentes), France.

Geography

Aulnay is located on the ''Via Turonensis''. one of the Ways of St. James some 45 km east by south-east of Surgères and 17 km north-east of Saint-Jean-d'Angély.

The commune invoices the village of La Cressoniere west of the town, Pinsenelle north-west of the town, and Salles-lès-Aulnay east of the town. Apart from the urban area of the town the commune is entirely farmland.Google Maps
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Hydrography

The ''Brédoire'' river flows through the commune and the town from east to west to join the ''Boutonne'' at Nuaillé-sur-Boutonne. Although a small river the ''Brédoire'' flooded the town in December 1982. The ''Palud'' flows through the north of the commune from the east to join the ''Brédoire'' at La Cressoniere. The ''Saudrenne'' flows from the east in the south of the commune forming part of the southern border before continuing to join the ''Boutonne'' at Saint-Pardoult.

History

Aulnay during the Roman Empire

Formerly called ''Aunedonnacum'' in the itinerary of Antoninus Pius and ''Auedonnaco'' in the Tabula Peutingeriana.

Aulnay in the Middle Ages

As the capital of a fiscal jurisdiction Aulnay was already the seat of a lordship in 925, as evidenced by the donation made by ''Cadelon I'' to several abbeys. The Viscounts of Aulnay (or Viscounts of Aunay) were descendants of other noble families in Poitou and Saintonge and lived in a castle which was demolished in 1818 but whose tower still remains.E. Lefèvre-Pontalis, Memoir in ''Archaeological Congress of France at Angoulême in 1912'', Vol. I, 1913, Delesques, Caen.

Aulnay in the contemporary era

A common name for Aulnay is Aulnay-de-Saintonge but under the Ancien Régime Aulnay (often spelled Aunay) did not belong to the province of Saintonge but to the Province of Poitou and the Diocese of Poitiers.

By decree dated 12 December 1973 the commune of Salles-lès-Aulnay merged with the commune of Aulnay.

Aulnay is the capital of the canton of Aulnay-de-Saintonge which has the largest extent in the department of Charente-Maritime.

Heraldry

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

Demography

The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Aulnaysiens'' or ''Aulnaysiennes'' in French.

Distribution of Age Groups

The population of the town is older than the departmental average.

Percentage Distribution of Age Groups in Aulnay and Charente-Maritime Department in 2017

Source: INSEEÉvolution et structure de la population en 2017: Commune d'Aulnay (17024)
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Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

The commune has a number of buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments:
*The Minargent Distillery (1910)
*A Chateau (13th century)
*A Dairy Factory (1926)

Religious heritage

The commune has several religious buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments:
*A Cemetery Cross (14th century)
*The Church of Saint-Pierre d'Aulnay (12th century). One of the finest surviving Romanesque churches. It is also classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is unknown why the church was built so far from the town but it may be related to the site of an old cemetery along the Roman road. At the end of the 11th century the building that preceded it belonged to the Abbey of Saint-Cyprien in Poitiers who, around 1045, received part of the burial rights and wax offerings from the church as evidenced by a donation by ''Ranulfe Rabiole''. Pierre II, Bishop of Poitiers, around 1100 confirmed the ownership of the church by the monastery and Pope Calixtus II followed his example in 1119. In 1135 however, the parish belonged to the Chapter of Poitiers Cathedral which retained its rights until the French Revolution. Papal bulls dated 1149 and 1157 list the Aulnay church in the list of properties of Canons who were calculating their costs. The church is particularly famous for the early-twelfth-century sculpture on its south and west doorways; it is among the most often discussed examples of this form of Romanesque art. Numerous oriental influences can be seen in its designs. For example, the first arc of one doorway is said to be inspired by Oriental designs. Designs of elephants also originate from Oriental designs. The Church contains several items that are registered as historical objects:
**A Painting: Christ with doctors (17th century)
**A Statue: Saint Peter as Pope (15th century)
**A Stoup (12th century)

Image:Aulnay Unesco.jpg, UNESCO plaque
File:Aulnay, Croix Hosannière.jpg, The Cemetery Cross
File:F06.Aulnay.2511.jpg, The front of the church
File:17-Aulnay-Saint-Pierre-de-la-Tour-tombes-clocher.jpg, The Church of Saint-Pierre
File:17-Aulnay-Saint-Pierre-de-la-Tour-tympan-sud.jpg, The south entrance to the Church
File:Portail Eglise Saint-Pierre Aulnay-de-Saintonge mid 12th century.jpg, Portal of Eglise Saint-Pierre, Aulnay-de-Saintonge, mid-12th century.
File:Islamic stylistic detail Eglise Saint-Pierre Aulnay-de-Saintonge mid 12th century.jpg, Islamic stylistic influence in the Church of Saint-Pierre.
File:Capital with elephants Eglise Saint-Pierre Aulnay-de-Saintonge mid 12th century.jpg, Capital with elephants on the Church
File:F06.Aulnay.489.1.jpg, A Church window
File:F06.Aulnay.453.jpg, The south side of the Church
File:F06.Aulnay.477.jpg, Detail of the south side
Image:Aulnay Église 5.jpg, The Bell Tower
File:F06.Aulnay.2206.jpg, The Stoup
File:St.-Pierre Aulnay, Vierung und Chor.jpg, The Nave of the Church
File:Aulnay-de-Saintonge, cimetière église St.Pierre de la Tour.JPG, The cemetery next to the Church

*The Church of Notre-Dame (12th century) The Church contains one item that is registered as an historical object:
**A Baptismal font (12th century)

File:Notre-Dame de Salles-lès-Aulnay.JPG, The Church of Notre-Dame
File:Notre-Dame de Salles-lès-Aulnay portail.JPG, Church of Notre-Dame entrance
File:Notre-Dame de Salles-lès-Aulnay, chapiteau b.JPG, Capitals in the Church of Notre-Dame
File:Notre-Dame de Salles-lès-Aulnay vitrail.JPG, Stained glass in the Church of Notre-Dame

Sports

Football is the main sport of the commune with a regional club which in 1976 was the winner of the Challenge Central-West.Football, Challenge Centre-Ouest

See also

*Communes of the Charente-Maritime department

External links

Aulnay on the Community of communes websiteromanes.com Photos of AulnayAulnay on Géoportail
National Geographic Institute (IGN) website
''Aunay'' on the 1750 Cassini Map

Notes and references

Notes

References

External links

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Communes of Charente-Maritime
World Heritage Sites in France