The north of Isle Jourdain, a territory to discover...

Depart from the town of L'Isle-Jourdain, latitude 46.2323500 (N 46° 13’ 56”), longitude 0.6859500 (E 0° 41’ 9”)

• Tourist Office of Isle Jourdain

• In order to discover in detail the center town of Isle Jourdain, do not hesitate to ask the tourist office the pedestrian circuit "to discover the rich heritage of Isle Jourdain": 2 H to stroll in the streets of this small town and go to meet its hidden treasures.

• Saint Peter's Church

• The Saint-Pierre church, this Romanesque church (11th-12th century) was rebuilt in the early 16th century. Its façade retains a Romanesque bas-relief illustrating the Crucifixion and carved capitals depicting lions, griffins and Atlanteans. See also: its classic tabernacle and two virgins polychrome wood of the eighteenth and nineteenth century, recently restored. The priory church was built at the end of the 11th century. During the Hundred Years War, it was partly fortified and then rebuilt in the early 16th century. 17th century statue of Saint Roch in painted wood.

• The gardens of Clouère

• An area of ​​pleasure and walk where wetlands and walks are combined, wild spaces and sites designed for the public. Three different landscapes for multi-purpose rides.
• The itinerary starts with an area where you can have a picnic and relax on a lawn with children's games. The walker then discovers a semi-wild space where the most remarkable trees have been preserved: ash trees, oaks, completed by a willow plantation. Finally, the largest area remained in a natural state. A wooden pontoon allows to walk with dry feet, in winter in particular, when the ground becomes marshy.
• Educational panels explain the different species of fauna and flora encountered. One can also take shelter under a wildlife observatory, at the end of the circuit, and settle comfortably with binoculars.

• The breeding of the Clouère

• Mr and Mrs Ressegand breed purebred Poitou donkeys. They also have miniature donkeys (max. 90cm, gray) and poitevines mules from the crossing of a draft mare and a donkey.
• On the spot: lodging on the farm and bed and breakfast.
• http://elevage-de-la-clouere.fr

• The washhouse and the fountain

• The Gallo-Roman baths were discovered during the construction of the school in the late nineteenth century. The father of the Cross raised the plan in 1887. Their situation at mid-height of the cliff facilitated the organization. The waters of the springs were directed to a pool to feed the different rooms. They were then collected in basins and then evacuated along the slope of the hill. From the building, only a magnificent carved stone column with nested leaves remains.

• Access to the botanical trail of Sous Roches

• This trail makes it possible to apprehend the richness of the Caiocaine nature thanks to panels of identification of plants and trees as well as to the observatory with fauna.

• The church of Queaux

• It is dedicated to Saint Martin, considered as the evangelizer of Gaul. One enters the church through a Romanesque bell tower. The outer gate dates from the 15th century. Its sober decor includes three arches with two arches. The interior door, Romanesque, has capitals with high basket and a semicircular arch on which we can see a wolf running after a sheep. Rare in the region: on either side of the entrance are stands, once reserved for men, the rest of the nave being reserved for women and children. The nave is unique and stocky.
• It was redone in the 19th century. the vault is supported by iron arches showing saw teeth. On the north wall, a semicircular door communicated with the old cemetery where was the cross hosannière, transferred to the current cemetery in the upper town.

• The art house and the terroir

• It exhibits the works of many artists and craftsmen and offers the sale of local products. It is open from May to September.
• Tel: +33 5 49 83 04 09

• View of the castle of Messelière (private can not be visited)

• Located on the edge of the municipality of Moussac-sur-Vienne, the date of the first construction of the castle of Messelière is unknown. The castellany belongs to the Faugère family from the second half of the 13th century. It was passed by marriage around 1420 to the family Frotier, still owner today.

• The canoe kayak base

• Discover the Montmorillonnais by canoeing down the Vienne valley and take another look at what is around you: kingfishers, herons, dragonflies in quantity and view of the magnificent castles that punctuate the landscapes of the valley.
• The Moussac Canoe Kayak (MCK) offers all year round various activities such as canoeing on the river "Vienne". Canoes and kayaks are unsinkable boats. The descents (from 3 to 14 Km) are all accessible to neophytes. You will be able to go down in group in "canobus" (canoe 9 places) of MILLAC with the dam of Jousseau. Come discover the valley of the Vienne Isle Jourdain in Civaux alternating quiet and fast passages. (The descent includes: equipment rental, parking, shuttle, use of premises, locker rooms and showers)
• Tel: +33 5 49 84 50 60

• The bridge over the Vienne

• The bridge that spans the Vienne to Moussac was inaugurated in August 1908. On the right bank and on each side of the bridge, 2 heritage panels explain the construction of the bridge and the operation of the ferry before the bridge.

• St. Martin's Church

• It was built in the mid-nineteenth century, and the bell tower, completed twenty years later (1880), contains three bells, one of which was remelted in 1889 from an old bell from 1721. The building has lost what makes her treasure: a Virgin and Child enamelled copper of the twelfth century. Limousin style.
• This art object, 43 cm high and classified as a Historic Monument, has been preserved since 1904 in Paris, at the National Museum of the Middle Ages. A facsimile was made in 2004. It is now displayed in the church.
• Square of the church: on this square, there are two covers of tombs of anonymous knights, each engraved with a sword and a spear. By their form, they seem to date from the beginning of the 13th century.

• The trammel

• or work to shoe horses and oxen

• The Saint-Blaise church

• Built from 1869 to 1871, it replaces a ruined construction since the Revolution. The parish title dates from 1871. A marble plaque above the portal reminds that this church was built at the initiative of Felix Sautereau, large owner at the time of the town, which built the rectory furthermore.

• The Saint-Hilaire church

• This church, whose oldest parts date from the 12th century, was fortified in the 14th century. and restored in the nineteenth century.. Inside, there is a golden wood Virgin of the seventeenth century. Church founded in the middle of the 11th century. To replace an old sanctuary probably Merovingian, itself already under the name of Saint Hilaire and cited from the year 790. It was given to the canons of the collegiate of Dorat in 1063.
• It was a Romanesque church with semicircular vaults, flanked by a thick steeple that can be used as protection in case of attack.

In the middle of the Hundred Years War, the vault collapsed. In its reconstruction, it was used to strengthen the facade by means of two turrets on buttresses angles, surmounted and interconnected by a crenellated parapet mounted on machicolations.

• During the 19th century, the church, in very bad condition, had to be rebuilt. Under the leadership of Father Charruyer, parish priest, the work was carried out in two stages.
• The nave was rebuilt in the Gothic Angevin style on trilobed pillars of the Poitou type. The bell tower has been redone, less massive and higher than the old one. The facade was preserved, at the request of the Ministry of Fine Arts, but according to the principles of the architect Viollet-Le-Duc, (without respecting the original model) and the various architectural and sculptural elements.
• In the church to note:
• 1.Christ in cross, in polychrome wood of the 17th century.
• 2.A virgin to child, in wood, gilded, dated from the end of the 17th century or the beginning of the 18th century. Classified historical monument.
• 3. A reliquary statue of Saint Radegonde, in polychrome wood, from the 17th century.
• 4. A pedestrian, monument raised in memory of the dead in the war.
• 5.A painting by Henry Daras, pupil of Puvis de Chavannes: "Joan of Arc receiving the insignia of her vocation".
• On the church square: A calvary bearing the instruments of passion. Very rare in our region. Built in 1754, had to be redone almost entirely
• On the road to Plaisance, at Entrefins, there was a grandmontain monastery. A small chapel dedicated to their founder Saint Etienne de Muret was erected on the spot around 1870 and remained a goal of private pilgrimages (or travels).
• For more information read the new document Montmorillon Country: "Let you tell the local travels and pilgrimages": http://www.pays-montmorillonnais.fr/page.php?id=683

• Adriers water body

• Fishing and supervised swimming, tennis, recreation area and picnic area

• Careers

• For information, you go past quarries that shaped the landscape.

• Saint-Paixent Church

• It is of Romanesque style with some nuances of Gothic style. Its construction dates from the beginning of the 12th century. Its serrated portal is limousin style. A round tower contiguous to the church contains the spiral staircase leading to the bell tower. This one looks like a real Romanesque tower, square, a little too massive. Inside, on the altar, is a statue, a Virgin and Child, venerated under the title of Our Lady of St. Paixent.