Chauvigny (; Poitevin: ''Chôvigni'') is a commune in the

Vienne Vienne may refer to: Places *Vienne (department), a department of France named after the river Vienne *Vienne, Isère, a city in the French department of Isère * Vienne-en-Arthies, a village in the French department of Val-d'Oise * Vienne-en-Bessi ...

department in the

Nouvelle-Aquitaine Nouvelle-Aquitaine () is the largest Regions of France, administrative region in France by area, spanning the west and southwest of Metropolitan France. The region was created in 2014 by the merging of Aquitaine, Limousin, and Poitou-Charentes ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

in western France. Chauvigny is located east of

Poitiers Poitiers is a city on the river Clain in west-central France. It is a commune in France, commune, the capital of the Vienne (department), Vienne department and the historical center of Poitou, Poitou Province. In 2021, it had a population of 9 ...

by rail. The town is situated overlooking the river

and a small brook. Chauvigny is twinned with

Billericay Billericay ( ) is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Basildon in Essex, England. It lies within the London Basin, east of the City of London. The town was founded in the 13th century by the Stratford Langthorne Abbey, Abbot of West Ham, ...

Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

, England. The composer Fernand Lamy (1881–1966) was born in Chauvigny. Chauvigny was among the places visited by Roger Fry the British artist, art critic and member of the Bloomsbury group in October 1911 when, after his visit to Paris to see the Salon d’Automne, he joined Clive Bell (husband of the celebrated English artist Vanessa Bell) and Duncan Grant (also a celebrated English artist) on a bicycle tour of the region to explore Romanesque churches. Fry produced a charming painting of Chauvigny

Population

Sights

Chauvigny features two interesting Romanesque churches, both restored in the 19th century. There are also ruins of a château of the

bishops of Poitiers The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Poitiers (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Metropolitae Pictaviensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse Metropolitain de Poitiers'') is a Latin archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. The archepiscopal see is in the city of ...

and of several other strongholds. Chauvigny-Saint-Pierre-110-Donjon-2008-gje.jpg, Chauvigny-Saint-Pierre-116-2008-gje.jpg, Chauvigny-Saint-Pierre-122-Mittelschiff-2008-gje.jpg, Chauvigny-Saint-Pierre-124-Chor-Kapitelle 7 bis 2-2008-gje.jpg, Chauvigny-Saint-Pierre-146-Kapitell 4-Darbringung Jesu im Tempel-2008-gje.jpg, Chauvigny-Saint-Pierre-154-Kapitell 6-Mensch mit zwei Koerpern-2008-gje.jpg, Near Chauvigny is the curious bone-cavern of Jioux, the entrance to which is fortified by large blocks of stone. Chauvigny panorama

Economy

As of 1911, the town carried on lime-burning and plaster-manufacture, and there were stone quarries in the vicinity. Trade was in wool and feathers. Gare de Chauvigny

Population

Sights

Economy

See also