Loudun

Loudun (in Poitevin-saintongeais Loudùn ) is a common French, located in the department of the Vienna and the area Poitou-Charentes. Its inhabitants is called the Loudunaises and the Loudunais . It is a very charming small town with its ruins of the old castle destroyed by Richelieu. This city has a great cultural heritage with, amongst other things, its Square Tower, its small lanes which kept the spirit of the Moyen-âge, all the cellars with mushrooms and wines without forgetting the Renaudot museum.

Toponymy

The old word Gallic dunos , castle, fortress, left its trace in the name of much of French cities even when those were Latin ized by the Romains. Generally, it is associated in the name of a Gallic chief as with Loudun precisely, but also with Verdun or Meudon. Or in the name of Gallic god more venerated Lug for example. It is the case with Laon and Lyon whose two names derive from Lugduno . With Châteaudun, one notices that the name of the city known as thus twice the same thing the first Latin time and the second into Gallic/Celtic.

Geography

Close cities: Moncontour with 20km, Thouars with 25km, Mirebeau with 25km, Montreuil-Bellay with 25km, Chinon with 25km, Saumur with 40km, Châtellerault with 45km, Poitiers with 55km.

History

Loudun and Loudunais is located in a territory at crossed steps of three great traditional areas: the Anjou, the Touraine and the Poitou.

Contrary, with current cutting, where the area Poitou-Charentes present at the north of the department of the Vienna an outgrowth to include Loudun, at the Middle Ages and until the French revolution, in fact the Resident of Saumur is inserted in the current Poitou including Loudun until Mirebeau in the South.

In 986, Guillaume III of Poitiers and Geoffroy Ier of Anjou clash with the locality the Saint-Paul Rocks, then attached to the parish of Coussay. Geoffroy obtains the stronghold of Loudun but is vassal of Guillaume. Loudun will depend on the counts of Anjou until in 1206, date on which Philippe Auguste attaches it to the Crown of France. However, Philippe-Auguste gives Loudun in guard to Guillaume of the Rocks, seneshal of Anjou and Maine, because the king of France regards Loudun as a strategic place and decides to replace old the castrum by a new fortress of powerful the Plantagenêt.

In 1214: Jean-without-Ground intrigue against king Philippe-Auguste, by buying the assistance of the barons poitevins: Chauvigny, Mauléons, Thouars. Jean-without-ground occupies Angers. Louis, the son of Philippe-Auguste intervenes with Moncontour of which it makes destroy the castle. On his side, Philippe-Auguste is victorious with Bouvines. He comes at once in Loudun to impose the peace of Chinon on Jean-without-Ground which must give up most of its possessions in Poitou.

In 1476, the King Rene of Anjou is constrained to conclude an agreement with Louis XI, being shown to have negotiated with Charles Bold the. Loudun is then joined together with the crown of France. Louis XI sets it up in baillage. François Ier orders that one writes the habit of Loudun. Loudunais becomes a seneschalsy. The Sénéchaussée of Loudun will depend on the governor of Saumur.

In 1542, During the creation of the General information of Turns, the Sénéchaussée of Loudun integrates this territorial whole made up by the provinces of Anjou, the Maine and the Touraine.

In 1568 the fights between Protestants and catholics begin again. Henri, king de Navarre, then 16 years old is then in Loudun with the Protestant army. The Protestants burn Collegial Holy-Cross, the convent of the church of the Carmelite friars (Saint-Hilaire-of-Martray) and the échevinage. The duke of Anjou (catholic) made the head office of Loudun to recover the city with the hands of the Protestants.

In 1569, Coligny seizes Poitiers. With the Battle of Moncontour: the duke of Anjou, future Henri III inflicts a bloody defeat with the Huguenots.

In 1584, Henri III gives the order to make destroy the fortress set up by Philippe-Auguste, the palate of the duke-kings of Anjou-Sicily and the strengthened enclosure of Loudun.

In 1587, Henri de Navarre seizes Loudun as well as Vivonne, Mirebeau and Châtellerault.

In 1630, the town of Loudun was the theater of a tracking launched by the Cardinal of Richelieu, with for objective making conceal the catholic priest Urbain Grandier which criticized it savagely.

In 1631, Louis XIII sends to Loudun the adviser of State Jean Martin baron de Laubardémont in order to finish the demolition of the fortress built by Philippe-Auguste, of the palate of the Duke-Kings of Anjou-Sicily, the keep and the strengthened enclosure of the city.

In 1711, the September 6th, an earthquake put at bottom part of the walls, and caused the collapse of part of the principal church.

In 1790, during the creation of the French departments, the South-Resident of Saumur (seneschalsy of Loudun and country of Mirebeau dependant on the governor of Saumur) is attached to the department of the Vienna.

Blasonnement

1°) Of mouths, with a crenelated tower of money, built of sand; with the chief of azure, charged with three flowers of gold lily. (Malta-Brown, illustrated France , volume V, 1884)

Administration

Demography

Places and monuments

the Square tower: built by Foulques Nerra, Count d' Anjou, in 1040.
the Saint-Pierre door of Martray:

Single vestige of the urban enclosure built under Philippe Auguste.

the Saint-Pierre church of the market (Saint Pierre of Martray):

also Built under Philippe Auguste.

the church Holy-Cross , it, date of Xéme century.

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