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Archiac

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Country
  
France

Department
  
Charente-Maritime

Canton
  
Jonzac

Region
  
Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Arrondissement
  
Jonzac

Intercommunality
  
Haute-Saintonge

Archiac

Archiac is a French commune in the Charente-Maritime department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern France.

Contents

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Archiacais or Archiacaises

Geography

Archiac is located in the south of the department of Charente Maritime in the historic region of Saintonge some 20 km south of Cognac, 15 km north-west of Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire and 15 km north-east of Jonzac. The village has the status of a town and is located at the intersection of two main highways: the D699 from Arthenac in the south-west to Ambleville in the north-east; and the D731 from Cierzac in the north-west which continues south-east from the village. The north-eastern border of the commune is also the border between Charente-Maritime and Charente departments. Other access roads include the D149 which is a short-cut connection between the D699 and the D733 west of the village and the D152 which goes south from the village to Saint-Maigrin. There are also the hamlets of La Grue and Saint-Pierre north-east of the village. Apart from some wooded areas near the village the commune is entirely farmland.

History

  • In the reign of Charlemagne Archiac was the seat of a viguerie. [ref. needed]
  • Upon the removal of Emma, the wife of the lord of Cognac, by the lord of Barbezieux in the 11th century, the Lord of Archiac gave them asylum: the castle was attacked, taken, and burnt.
  • In 1219 the Lord of Archiac was Guillaume d'Archiac. During the Hundred Years War the castle was taken and retaken then became a den of Anglo-Gascon thieves before being taken and demolished.
  • In 1609 the Barony of Archiac was raised to a marquisate.
  • It was forbidden for the Protestant ministers Jacques Fountaines and Jean Hoummeau to preach and the temple was demolished in 1673.

    • Administration

    List of Successive Mayors

    (Not all data is known)

    Demography

    In 2009 the commune had 812 inhabitants. The evolution of the number of inhabitants is known from the population censuses conducted in the commune since 1793. From the 21st century, a census of communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants is held every five years, unlike larger towns that have a sample survey every year.

    Population Change (See database)

    Sources : Ldh/EHESS/Cassini until 1962, INSEE database from 1968 (population without double counting and municipal population from 2006)


    Arthenac was part of the Archiac commune until they were separated in 1831.

    Distribution of Age Groups

    The population of the town is relatively old. The ratio of persons above the age of 60 years (32.4%) is higher than the national average (21.6%) and the departmental average (28.1%). As for the national and departmental levels, the female population of the commune is higher than the male population. The ratio (53.2%) is higher than the national ratio (51.6%).

    Percentage Distribution of Age Groups in Archiac and Charente-Maritime Department in 2009

    Sources:

  • Evolution and Structure of the population of the Commune in 2009, INSEE.
  • Evolution and Structure of the population of the Department in 2009, INSEE.

    • Sites and Monuments

  • The Parish Church of Saint-Pierre has a fragment of a Statue from the Middle Ages depicting a mitred head which is registered as an historical object.
  • A Dolmen near Lavaure. [ref. needed]
  • A Chateau from the 9th century, repaired in the 11th century but now disappeared. It included the chapels of Our Lady and Saint-Martin. [ref. needed]
  • The House of the Vine and Fragrances

    • Notable People linked to the commune

  • Cardinal Simon d'Archiac (14th century) was born in Archiac.

    • References

    Archiac Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA