Poitou-Charentes today
Poitou-Charentes is now part of Nouvelle Aquitaine, one of the 13 new regions created by the territorial reform that came into effect on January 1, 2016.
The former Poitou-Charentes region comprised four departments:
Charente (16 – Angoulême), Charente-Maritime (17 – La Rochelle), Deux-Sèvres (7 – Niort), and Vienne (86 – Poitiers).
Poitiers is the regional capital (préfecture).
Bordered by the Loire river to the north, the Limousin region to the east, Aquitaine to the south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Poitou-Charentes region benefits from a strong oceanic influence, giving it a very pleasant climate. Winters are mild, springs and autumns are cool, and summers are pleasantly warm. Its coastline, which enjoys a micro-climate, is among the sunniest regions on the Atlantic coast.
Stretching over 400 km, from the Bay of Aiguillon to the Gironde estuary, it is primarily dedicated to tourism and maritime activities. Despite rainfall, which is accompanied by 2,400 hours of sunshine per year, the region’s verdant countryside is ideal for agriculture, viticulture, and the production of liqueurs (cognac). However, as one travels inland, the climate becomes more continental. The north and centre of the region are dedicated to cattle farming, while the centre is devoted to cereal crops. Poitou-Charentes is also characterised by its wooded landscape, with 370,000 hectares of forest, representing 15% of its area.
A few Historical facts
Poitou-Charentes was once part of Aquitania (Aquitaine0, a vast historical region bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees Mountains. The Picts, an ancient people, inhabited what is now Poitou and gave it their name. The Romans conquered Aquitania in 56 BC and established the Provincia Aquitania – Province of Aquitaine, and in 418 AD, the Visigoths invaded the region.
Poitou became part of the Kingdom of France, founded at the end of the 5th century, when Clovis, King of the Franks, conquered Gaul. The region’s history took a decisive turn when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry Plantagenêt, thus including Aquitaine in her dowry. Poitou became English in 1152, with the coronation of Plantagenêt as Henry II of England, and did not return to the French Crown until 1416.
The region was also an important centre of Calvinism in the 17th and 18th centuries, which led to the exodus of many Huguenots to Canada during the Wars of Religion. These Acadians were expelled from Canada by the British in the 18th century and settled in Louisiana, where they became known as Cajuns.
Finally, during the French Revolution, historical Poitou became a province, encompassing the departments of Vienne, Deux-Sèvres, and Vendée.
Poitou-Charentes tourist sites
The Parc Naturel Regional du Marais Poitevin – Marais Poitevin Regional Natural Park, also known as the Venise Verte – Green Venice, is an emblem of the Poitou-Charentes region. This vast marshland, a remnant of the Jurassic sea, was drained and developed during the Middle Ages. Howeevr, the region boasts other remarkable nature reserves such as Pinail, Lilleau-des-Niges, Moeze, and the Îles du Pont.
The Poitou-Charentes region is renowned for its islands, including the Île de Ré, which offers 100 km of beaches. The inhabitants of the Île d’Oléron affectionately call their island “La Lumineuse” (The Luminous One), as it is the second largest French island and is famous for its delicious Marennes oysters.
Poitiers, the historic capital of Poitou, lies near the battlefield where Charles Martel defeated the Moors in 732 AD. Today, the city is famous not only for its rich historical heritage but also for its superb Futuroscope theme park.
Magnificent cities, fortified ports, former military forts, and seaside resorts line the coast, such as La Rochelle, the port of Brouage, and Fort Boyard, off the coast of Île d’Oléron. Royan, a popular seaside resort since the Belle Époque, estabblished La Palmyre Zoo, one of the largest in Europe. Inland, the town of Cognac is world-renowned for the quality of its liqueur. Finally, Angoulême, Niort, Saintes, and Rochefort with its former arsenal built for the French Royal Navy in the 17th century, each possess a unique charm.
Area: 25,809 km
Population: 1,760,575 (01/01/2009)
Photo via Wikimedia Commons: Futuroscope by Riton86 CC BY-SA 3.0
