Chauvigny

A must stay in Vienne, located 20 minutes from Futuroscope, Chauvigny is a welcoming city.

City of art, member of the Plus Beaux Détours de France, its five castles located on the same promontory overlooking the Vienne make it a unique site in Europe.

Chauvigny is also one of the highlights of Romanesque art where one can discover several churches: the Collegiate Church of St. Peter (12th century), famous for its capitals and painted columns; The Notre-Dame church; Saint-Pierre-les-Eglises, famous for its Merovingian paintings.

Chauvigny is the cradle of Porcelain in Poitou-Charentes, internationally renowned for its quality and present on the largest gastronomic restaurants. Its name also refers to its stone whose many monuments are adorned (Opéra Garnier, Louvre Museum, Ponts de la Loire...).

The baronial castle: Occupying the end of the promontory of the upper town, the baronial castle is an important work. Its perimeter reaches 230 meters. Its present ruin results from its sale as national property during the revolution, the purchaser having made a quarry of stones. The excavations carried out from 1957 by the archaeological research society of Chauvigny make it possible to draw up the plan and to get an idea of the stages of its construction.
The collegiate church of Saint-Pierre: Its origin is little known. The existence of a chapter of ten canons is attested there in the first quarter of the eleventh century. At that time, therefore, there existed a first edifice, of which some carved stones are reused in the bedside of the church which has come down to us. It was built in the 12th century, beginning with the choir. The bell tower was completed at the beginning of the thirteenth century. The seat of an arch-priest under the old regime, Saint-Pierre remains that of the deanery until the beginning of our century; He was then transferred to Notre-Dame in the lower town. Very damaged under the wars of religion and during the sling, deprived of maintenance during the revolution, it was the object of several campaigns of restoration in the XIX^e century. The plaster and interior paintings date back to 1856. If the facade is poorly decorated, the chevet (visible Saint-Pierre street) strikes by the harmonious stepping of volumes and by the richness of the carved decoration. Note that the curved top walls that crown the apse and the radiant chapels are not cupolas but simple wall-huts that conceal the tiled roof.
The donjon of Gouzon (11th and 13th century) offers a panoramic view of the city and houses an original presentation of the different local productions throughout the ages (quarries of stone, porcelain, mills, steam engine...). Nearby, the museum of ethnology and archeology presents twenty centuries of daily life (Gallo-Roman furniture, collection of old tools, headdresses...).
All year long, discovery tours of the medieval city are organized under the guidance of guide-guides approved by the Heritage Department.
Tourist activities:

Les Géants du Ciel: spectacle of birds in free flight, originating from the five continents.
The bike-rail: pedal with family or friends on an old railway, to discover in a fun way the landscapes of the Pays Chauvinois.

Art and Crafts: several artisans of art offer to share their passion by visiting their workshop (basket maker, sculptor, potter, painters...).
The Theater La Grange Aux Loups is an old barn converted into a live theater located in the medieval city of Chauvigny and which hosts throughout the year a pluridisciplinary program (concerts, theater, puppet theater, readings, storytelling, dance, Poetry...) for all audiences. This unique place in the region has a capacity of 50 people, which gives it a very intimate character, the public being very close to the scene. Open all year round, it is also dedicated to professional training and artists residences.

Information points	Tourist Office of Chauvigny
Leisure centres	Museum Espace d'Archéologie Industrielle du Donjon de Gouzon Museum of the Traditions Populaires et Archéologie
Monuments	Church Saint-Pierre
Performance halls	Salle Charles Trenet Theatre La Grange aux Loups

Markets: Tuesday - Thursday - Saturday.
Exhibition: 2nd Tuesday of each month.
Cultural Events:

Winter season: from October to May
Summer Festival: July and August.

Futuroscope, located 20 minutes from Chauvigny.
Abbey of Saint-Savin, World Heritage of UNESCO.
Angles-sur-l'Anglin, village classified among the most beautiful villages of France.
Montmorillon cited books and writing.

Tourism, holidays & weekends guide in the Vienne

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Chauvigny