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 department of
Vendée
Vendée (; br, Vande) is a department in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France, on the Atlantic coast. In 2019, it had a population of 685,442.
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...
in western
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
.
Vouvant is labelled as ''
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France
''Les Plus Beaux Villages de France'' (meaning “the most beautiful villages of France”) is an independent association created in 1982 for the promotion of the tourist appeal of small rural villages with a rich cultural heritage. As of Septem ...
'' (since 1988), ''Petite cité de caractère'', and the village has obtained two flowers out of five in the ''
Concours des villes et villages fleuris
The (English: 'Competition of cities and villages in Bloom') is a contest organised annually in France which aims to encourage communes to adopt and implement policies that improve the quality of life of their inhabitants and enhance their attra ...
''.
It is the only fortified village of Vendée. Its inhabitants are called ''Vouvantais''. Over 10% of the population of Vouvant is British owing to a gradual occupation or purchase of real estate by English families.
Sites and monuments
Several sites and monuments are present in Vouvant :
* Walled enclosure of the
Lusignan
The House of Lusignan ( ; ) was a royal house of French origin, which at various times ruled several principalities in Europe and the Levant, including the kingdoms of Jerusalem, Cyprus, and Armenia, from the 12th through the 15th centuries duri ...
(dated between the end of the 12th century and the beginning of the 13th century) : the
Tour Mélusine
The Tour Mélusine is the keep of a former castle in the commune of Vouvant in the ''département'' of Vendée in France.
History
This keep and watchtower, built at the end of the 12th century or the beginning of the 13th century (very often ...
(keep of the castle), the fortifications around the village, the
Postern
A postern is a secondary door or gate in a fortification such as a city wall or castle curtain wall. Posterns were often located in a concealed location which allowed the occupants to come and go inconspicuously. In the event of a siege, a postern ...
Gate, etc. The Tour Mélusine has been protected as a '' monument historique'' by the
French Ministry of Culture
The Ministry of Culture (french: Ministère de la Culture) is the ministry of the Government of France in charge of national museums and the . Its goal is to maintain the French identity through the promotion and protection of the arts (visua ...
since 1927. The city fortifications has been protected as a ''monument historique'' since 1984.
* ''Notre-Dame de l'Assomption'' Church, classed as a ''monument historique'' in 1840 by
Prosper Mérimée
Prosper Mérimée (; 28 September 1803 – 23 September 1870) was a French writer in the movement of Romanticism, and one of the pioneers of the novella, a short novel or long short story. He was also a noted archaeologist and historian, and a ...
, built from the 11th century under the leadership of
William V, Duke of Aquitaine
William the Great (french: Guillaume le Grand; 969 – 31 January 1030) was duke of Aquitaine (as ) and count of Poitou (as or III) from 990 until his death. Upon the death of the emperor Henry II, he was offered the kingdom of Ital ...
: ''Théodelins nave (11th century) / crypt (11th century, modified in the 12th century and rebuilt during restoration works in 1882–1884 for the ceiling) / square gable wall of the north portal,
choir
A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...
,
apse
In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. ...
and two small apses (second half of the 12th century) / triangular gable wall of the north portal and Gothic sculptures (1458–1464) /
transept
A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building wi ...
and the first three spans of the
nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
(wholly rebuilt during restoration works in 1882–1890).
* Medieval bridge (dated between the 13th and the 15th centuries), protected as a ''monument historique'' since 1927.
* Reproduction of the ''Grotto of
Lourdes
Lourdes (, also , ; oc, Lorda ) is a market town situated in the Pyrenees. It is part of the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. Prior to the mid-19th century, the town was best known for the Châ ...
'', on the bank of the ''Mère'' river. Realized in 1958.
* Public washing place.
* Forest of
Mervent
Mervent () is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.
Places and monumentsFrom the french article on Mervent
* The Château de la Citardière
* The Old Castle ruins in the village,
* The church Sa ...
-Vouvant, Vendée's largest forest ().
File:La Tour Mélusine, à Vouvant.jpg, Tour Mélusine
File:La tour mélusine de Vouvant.jpg, Tour Mélusine
File:Vouvant Eglise.jpg, ''Notre-Dame de l’Assomption'' church
File:F07.Vouvant.0016.JPG, North portal of the church
File:F07.Vouvant.0012.JPG, ''Théodelins nave
File:Jardin du prieuré - Vouvant.jpg, ''Jardin du prieuré''
File:Entrée de bourg de Vouvant.jpg, Entrance of Vouvant
File:Les remparts de Vouvant.jpg, Fortifications and the ''Mère'' river
File:La Tour Mélusine, vue du pont enjambant la rivière La Mère.jpg, ''Mère'' river, with the Tour Mélusine in the background
File:La poterne de Vouvant.JPG, Postern Gate
File:La poterne de Vouvant en Vendée.jpg, Postern Gate
File:Vouvant remparts et Tour Melusine.jpg, View from the Postern Gate
File:Forêt de Mervent-Vouvant.jpg, Forest of Mervent-Vouvant
File:Forêt de Mervent-Vouvant, bord de la Mère.jpg, The river, in the heart of the forest