Saintes: Guide

Saintes is a town and commune in France|commune in France, in the Charente-Maritime département in France|département, of which it is a sous-préfecture.

History

In Ancient Rome|Roman times, the town was called Mediolanum Santonum. It was founded in about 20 BC. Some estimations show that Saintes had about 15,000 inhabitants in those days, and that its borders were almost the same that today.

Saintes was the capital of the Provinces of France|former province of Saintonge. It was the scene of the second phase of the Saintonge War, in 1242, when the army of Hugh X of Lusignan|Hugh X was besieged by that of Louis IX of France|Louis IX and Alphonse of Toulouse|Alphonse of Poitiers.

The French Wars of Religion hit Saintes during most of the 16th century since many Protestants inhabited the region. Bernard Palissy, one of them, saw that difficult period.

In 1730 a new era began with the construction of the hôtel du Marquis de Monconseil which was the commencement of numerous changes in the city landscape. Guéau de Reverseaux and others created the principal thoroughfares of Saintes like the Cours National, which opened in 1815, or the Cours Reverseaux. In 1810, La Rochelle became the chef-lieu du département, but the displeasure of the population declined since Saintes kept the Cour d'Assise, which led to the construction of a new Palais de Justice in 1863.

In 1843 Prosper Mérimée saved the Arc de Germanicus, but the old bridge was destroyed. The Haras National de Saintes was created in 1846 and the town stretched out to the east. The right bank, which was formerly confined to a small faubourg surrounding the Abbaye aux Dames, evolved when the railway arrived in Saintes. The station was built in 1867 and the avenue Gambetta linked it to the Charente. The 20th century saw the destruction of parts of the station neighbourhood during World War II, but also the creation of new housing units and commerces in the areas of Bellevue and Recouvrance.

Geography

Saintes is located on the banks of the Charente River, between La Rochelle and Bordeaux (on the autoroute A10). The town is divided in several administrative areas (La Fenêtre, Recouvrance, Les Tourneurs, Les Boiffiers, Sain-Vivien, Saint-Pierre, Gare-Abbaye, Bellevue, La Récluse et S. De Bouard).

Sights

The Arch of Germanicus, a triumphal arch, was built at the entrance to a bridge, where the main Roman road crossed the Charente River. The bridge was demolished in 1843 but the Arch was saved by Prosper Mérimée and rebuilt at its present location on the bank of the river.
Ruins of the Roman amphitheatre can be found on the left bank of the Charente, near the summit of the hill upon which the town was built. It is notable in that its tiers (the cavea) are built against the hill and an embankment.
Some remnants of the thermae of Saint-Saloine (First century) are also visible, in particular an aqueduct.
Fragments of the 3rd century rampart can be seen in the Place des Récollets. It was built with stones taken from the Roman buildings.
The Abbaye-aux-Dames.
Saintes is also known for its other churches: the Église Saint-Eutrope and the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre. ,

The main museums include:
the Musée archéologique, which owns a Roman cart of the 1st century amongst a collection of sculptures and inscriptions.
the Musée du Présidial, which has a Mannerism|mannerist architecture and a collection of regional ceramics and paintings of the 15th century|15th to 18th century.
the Musée de l'Échevinage, which exhibits porcelain of Sèvres and paintings of the 19th century|19th and 20th century

Education

The Secondary education in France|collèges include: the Collège René Caillié, the Collège Agrippa d'Aubigné, the Collège Edgar Quinet and the Collège Jeanne d'Arc.
The Secondary education in France|lycées include: the Lycée de Bellevue, the Lycée Bernard-Palissy, the Lycée Notre-Dame-de-Recouvrance and the Lycée Georges Desclaude (agricultural instruction).

Miscellaneous