Alloue | |
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 The main square in Alloue | |
.svg) Coat of arms | |
 Location of Alloue | |
  Alloue  Alloue | |
| Coordinates:46°01′38″N0°30′57″E / 46.0272°N 0.5158°E /46.0272; 0.5158 | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Nouvelle-Aquitaine |
| Department | Charente |
| Arrondissement | Confolens |
| Canton | Charente-Bonnieure |
| Intercommunality | Charente Limousine |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2020–2026) | Nathalie Landrevie[1] |
Area 1 | 46.54 km2 (17.97 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[2] | 481 |
| • Density | 10.3/km2 (26.8/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 16007 /16490 |
| Elevation | 136–231 m (446–758 ft) (avg. 116 m or 381 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Alloue (French pronunciation:[alu];Occitan:Aloa[3]) is acommune in theCharentedepartment in theNouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern France.
Alloue is a commune located in the north-east of theCharente at the edge of the Charente Limousine and Ruffécois regions, 5 km south of the boundary of the department ofVienne. It belongs to theCommunity of communes of Confolentais.
The commune is 9 km east ofChampagne-Mouton, and 12 km west ofConfolens. The main road that runs through the village and the commune from east to west is the D740, the former national road from Confolens inNiort viaRuffec (24 km) and via Champagne-Mouton.Angoulême is 50 km to the south-west andLimoges a similar distance to the south-east.[4] Alloue is also 15 km north ofSaint-Claud andRoumazières-Loubert.[5]
Other minor departmental minor roads run through the commune including the D169 south toRoumazières-Loubert viaAmbernac, the D171 towardsBenest in the west, the D312 heading north-west, the D169 north toÉpenède andPressac, the D309 toAnsac-sur-Vienne in the south-east, and the D313 heading towards Manot in the south-east.[6]
The commune has many small hamlets:
Chez Pasquet borders the town to the north as does La Cantine to the south of the town on the left bank of the river.[6]
Places adjacent to Alloue | |
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The land is composed ofmarllimestone dating from theEarly Jurassic period in the valley and deposits ofClay from theTertiary period on the slopes.[7][8][9]
The oldGalena (lead andsilver) mine at Beaumont was composed of veins on a fault which follows the valley of the Charente toAmbernac until it nearly reachesAsnois (Vienne) and passes through Alloue. The mine consists of tunnels dug into the rock.[10]
The relief of the commune is that of aplateau with an average altitude of 180 m, traversed from south to north by the valley of theCharente. The highest point is at an altitude of 231 m which is located in theBois de Signes (Signes Forest) on the eastern edge of the commune. The lowest point is 136 m which is located along the Charente on the north-western boundary. The village is in the valley and on the right bank of the river and is 145 m above sea level.[6]
TheCharente flows through the commune from south to north. The part in the commune is downstream ofRoumazières and upstream of theVienne department where the river makes an incursion before returning toRuffec andAngoulême.
The Transon, a tributary on the right side of the Charente joining atChatain (Vienne), rises in the south-east of the commune and along its eastern boundary.
The Charente has many small tributary streams rising in the commune such as theRuisseau de la Forêt (Forest Stream) which flows in the northwest.
TheClain, a tributary of theVienne passing Poitiers, rises in the commune ofHiesse 50 m from the communal boundary at Beau Clain. Thewatershed line between the basins of the Charente and theLoire crosses the eastern edge of the commune.
The commune of Alloue also has many ponds and small water reservoirs, mainly in the south-west.[6]
The town is in theOccitan area ofMarchois in contact with theLimousin dialect and marks the boundary with thePoitevinlangue d'oïl (to the northwest)[11][12]
As for a large part of the west of the department, the climate is an AquitaineOceanic climate but it is slightly degraded near theCharente Limousine area where the climate is more humid and slightly cooler.
The name of the communeAlloue is said to come from theGallic wordalauda meaninglark.[dubious –discuss]
The hamlet ofBeaumont comes from the Frenchbeau mont which means "beautiful hill".
Les Essarts was designated in the Middle Ages to be cleared of forest.
The hamlet ofFontbeau may take its name from theLatinfons orfontis meaning "source" andbellus meaning "handsome". It can therefore mean "beautiful spring" but it is more likely from the Occitanfont bou (fons bovis in Latin) to the Frenchfontaine de boeuf (fountain of beef).
For the hamlet ofMasmayoux the origin is from the Latinmajor meaning "bigger" andmansus which had becomemas by theMiddle Ages and which designated an agricultural field. It can therefore lead to the meaning "large farm".
Les Repaires comes from the old Frenchrepair meaninghouse orfortified castle.[13]
Tools, particularly polished axes, and atumulus have been found inCaillauds which attests to the antiquity of occupation of the area.
The old silver-lead mine in the commune has been worked since theGallic era.
ARoman road passed by Alloue and its remains are visible at a place calledles Repaires[14]
Alloue formed part of the province ofPoitou as with most towns west of Confolentais and theOccitan languageLimousin dialect was widely spoken under theAncien Régime.
In 783 the nameAlloue was mentioned when Roger, Count of Limoges gave land at Alloue for the creation of theCharroux Abbey. On 23 April 1121, Guillaume I, Bishop of Poitiers, donated the Alloue Church to the Abbey of Charroux. ThisBenedictinepriory which had prior rights of low, medium and high justice was plundered in 1356 and then restored. In the 16th century the priory had four occupants and theprior. From a survey in 1547, the Priory of Alloue had twenty houses in the village and about 125 tenements in the parish and neighbouring parishes. On a 1740 plan they were shown next to the church with farm buildings and gardens. The priory closed in 1781. It was sold asnational property during theRevolution.
There were four fiefs and castles on the territory:
TheFief of Geuche was mentioned in 1396, when it belonged toPerrenot La Lande. In the 17th century it was the property of the Gracieux family and was sold as national property during the Revolution.
Themanoir de l'Age for which in 1399 Guy de l'Aage Landri, squire, made an admission to Aimar, the Abbot ofCharroux that his "accommodation of l'Age deVolude in Alloue" . The wordvolude means a small valley and the wordage a fortified enclosure. TheManoir de l'Age was successively occupied by the familiesGreen de Marsault, L'Aage, and Verdilhac.
TheCastle of Massignac in the 15th century belonged to the Tizon family then in the 16th century to the Barbarin family, passing to the Regnaud family, and finally by marriage to the Guiot family before being sold as national property during the Revolution.
A mill that existed in the north was destroyed.
The lordship ofLa Vergne had the rank ofChâtelainie.
| Blazon: Sable, two chevrons Or in chief two lozenges azure bordure in Or. |
When the town was founded in 1793 it was namedAllouë and it was the capital of the canton. In 1801, still with the same name, it belonged to the canton of Champagne-Mouton and it was only later that it becameAlloue.
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List of Successive Mayors of Alloue[15]
| From | To | Name | Party | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roger Brunet | ||||
| 1995 | 2001 | Lucien Simonneau | ||
| 2001 | 2008 | Raymond Beaussand | ||
| 2008 | 2014 | Nathalie Vignaud-Landrevie | ind. | Secretary of Insurance Agency |
| 2014 | 2020 | Jean-Jacques Catrain | ||
| 2020 | 2026 | Nathalie Landrevie |
The inhabitants of the commune are known asAllousiens orAllousiennes in French.[16] With 1720 inhabitants in 1793, the commune has been the victim of a slow erosion that accelerated during the 20th century.[17] The commune has lost 70% of its population in two centuries.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 818 | — |
| 1975 | 758 | −1.08% |
| 1982 | 649 | −2.19% |
| 1990 | 599 | −1.00% |
| 1999 | 531 | −1.33% |
| 2007 | 512 | −0.45% |
| 2012 | 526 | +0.54% |
| 2017 | 468 | −2.31% |
| Source: INSEE[18] | ||
Percentage Distribution of Age Groups in Alloue and Charente Department in 2017
| Alloue | Charente | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age Range | Men | Women | Men | Women |
| 0 to 14 Years | 12.1 | 10.3 | 16.7 | 14.8 |
| 15 to 29 Years | 9.6 | 9.9 | 15.7 | 13.8 |
| 30 to 44 Years | 13.3 | 12.1 | 17.1 | 16.3 |
| 45 to 59 Years | 22.5 | 24.7 | 21.1 | 20.8 |
| 60 to 74 Years | 25.8 | 20.2 | 19.6 | 19.8 |
| 75 to 89 Years | 14.6 | 20.6 | 8.9 | 12.0 |
| 90 Years+ | 2.1 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 2.4 |
The lead mine was worked since the Gallic era until after the abbot Michon. It was operated by a Sir Villain in the 18th century and in 1818, according to Quenot, there were a dozen open pits. Then the mine was operated by several concessionaires without much success due to the poor quality of the ore and the difficulty of separating thegalena from the several intertwined minerals. A company was founded in 1821 then abandoned the mine in 1829, recovered, then abandoned it again and, after a last attempt in 1930, it was finally closed due to insufficient profitability.[10]
In the 19th century four mills were in operation. *one, a wheat mill, became an oil and dairy factory then the Charente was diverted.
Currently activity in the commune is mainly agricultural.
Shops include a baker, a restaurant and an agricultural parts merchant.
There are also a hairdresser, a bricklayer, an electrician/plumber/heating merchant, a bicycle repair shop and a landscaper.
The school is a regroupment school covering Alloue,Ambernac, andBenest. Alloue has a primary school (both kindergarten and elementary); Benest and Ambernac have an elementary school.[20]
There is a post office and there are other services in the surrounding communities, mainlyConfolens.
There are more than 200 sites in the commune that are registered as historical monuments with the majority of sites Houses or Farmhouses.[21] A selection of the more interesting sites are described below.
is located on the edge of the Maquis-Foch Square dating from the 19th century which allows a small stream to flow into the Charente. A slab connects the two rivers.[22] has large corner towers and framed windows and with mouldings typical of a 15th-century castle. The circular corner towers are square inside and equipped with several archers' loopholes. It was redesigned in 1861 with installation of a stairway.[23] has retained its 14th century structure although a large part of the walls were rebuilt in 1870 – which date is inscribed on the lintel of the door. It is rectangular in shape with a vaulted cellar in the basement, one floor with an attic covered with a high hip roof with flat tiles. The tower with a staircase is adjoining on the southeast side topped with a conical slate roof with loopholes for archers. Outbuildings were added in the 19th century and are partly shown on the cadastral map of 1835 (the barn was enlarged at the end of the 19th century).[24] was originally composed of a rectangular enclosure with battlements with four circular towers and a drawbridge dating from the 15th century and lodgings built at the end of the 16th century. All that remains of the enclosure is the two towers located on the southwest and southeast sides. The towers are pierced by four gunnery loopholes. The wall was crowned with a parapet and battlements of which there remains the consoles at the level of the south-west tower. The lodgings have a rectangular plan with an attic floor and circular stairs to the tower, half-completed, in the middle of the facade pierced with small windows and an archer loophole. On the cadastral map of 1835, the moat and the four towers were still present and there was a building that was against the outer wall to the southwest, an extension of the current vaulted room, which connected the two corner towers. On old views of the early 20th century, the tower in the north-west and the walkway in front of the lodgings are still visible.[25] consists of buildings contained within four towers, the oldest of which is the south-east tower which may date from the 15th century. The coat of arms ofDe Lage is found on the walls of the courtyard of the lodgings and an inscription "F.P.P.D.Lage 1656" is inserted in the wall over a raven (but probably not in its original location) in an outside staircase. The north wing of the castle was demolished in 1873. The De Lage family, lords of Beauchesne, a branch of the family ofDe Lage deVolude, owned the manor until the late 17th century, then theGracieux family held it until theRevolution.[26] is located 300 m south of the town next to the Charente. The first lords of this manor were known as GUYOT. Marc Guyot du Repaire inherited the lordship of the Chateau de La Vergne in 1679. The Guyot du Repaire family owned the lordship and the estates and land of La Vergne till the mid 19th century. The castle was bought by the famous actress María Casares in the 1960s. At her death in 1996, the estate was bequeathed to the local municipality. Since then the castle now hosts a cultural project and is a residence and place of exchange, training for writers, actors and theatre directors. The library and the whole house became a Registered monument on 12 December 2002.[27]
was indicated as a lordship on the 18th centuryCassini map but the house has since been greatly altered. The house faces the church and was restored in the 19th century. This mansion has an austere facade but has been uniquely decorated internally using a French wallpaper manufactured by Jean Zuber between 1834 and 1836. These wallpapers are decorated with pictures such as: "View of North America" or "Helvéthie".[28] was a medieval bridge whose deck was rebuilt between 1895 and 1898.[29] (New Bridge) at the western entrance of Alloue dates to 1741.[30]
There are also old Lavoirs atMasmayoux where the well is an uncovered rectangular basin fed by a spring that emerges from a cube of masonry and stone rubble[32] and nearLasfond which also has an uncovered basin.[33]
is equipped with a pump.[34] is covered by a dome and rubble after a legend that it would bring health and prosperity.[35]TheParish Church of Notre-Dame (12th century) is registered as an historical monument.[36] The church contains two items that are registered as historical objects:
[37] in wood painted in polychrome 1.10 metres high[38] inCuir de Cordoue of the 17th century 1.50m high on a base 0.60m high.
The church included both a parish church and aBenedictine priory (12th century)[39] founded by themonks of Charroux in the 8th century that stretched south and west of the church. The Priory of Alloue on the 1740 plan is presented as a set of buildings surrounded by amoat which joined the Charente. Currently the western part still remains – rebuilt in the 16th and 17th centuries. The lodgings of the prior was in line with the north wall of the church, preceded by a courtyard overlooking the street between the two towers. Another house has since been built on the site of the courtyard.
There is aCemetery Cross (1789) bearing the inscription "PIORRY NOTARY ET FABRIC/QUEUR 1789". This stone cross in a cylindrical drum is raised on a plinth consisting of four steps. In front, a stonefont is located on a stone slab.[45]
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