Melle is a commune

Communes of France

The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...

 in the Deux-Sèvres

Deux-Sèvres

Deux-Sèvres is a French département. Deux-Sèvres literally means "two Sèvres": the Sèvre Nantaise and the Sèvre Niortaise are two rivers which have their sources in the department.-History:...

 department in western France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

.

It is today best known as the home town of Ségolène Royal

Ségolène Royal

Marie-Ségolène Royal , known as Ségolène Royal, is a French politician. She is the president of the Poitou-Charentes Regional Council, a former member of the National Assembly, a former government minister, and a prominent member of the French Socialist Party...

, the 2007 Socialist

Socialist Party (France)

The Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in France and the largest party of the French centre-left. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in France, along with the center-right Union for a Popular Movement...

 candidate for the election

French presidential election, 2007

The 2007 French presidential election, the ninth of the Fifth French Republic was held to elect the successor to Jacques Chirac as president of France for a five-year term.The winner, decided on 5 and 6 May 2007, was Nicolas Sarkozy...

 of the Presidency of the Republic

President of the French Republic

The President of the French Republic colloquially referred to in English as the President of France, is France's elected Head of State....

. Laurent Cantet

Laurent Cantet

Laurent Cantet is a French director, born on June 15, 1961 at Melle . His parents were schoolteachers in Ardilleux.On 25 May 2008, he received the Palme d'Or at the Festival de Cannes 2008, for the movie Entre les murs.- As director :...

 was also born here.

History

The town was founded in the reign of Charlemagne

Charlemagne

Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...

 as a mining centre and was, for a time, the home of the French mint

Mint (coin)

A mint is an industrial facility which manufactures coins for currency.The history of mints correlates closely with the history of coins. One difference is that the history of the mint is usually closely tied to the political situation of an era...

. The mines which supplied the mint continued to function off and on before being forgotten altogether in the 18th century, not to be discovered again until the 20th century. The mine is now a tourist attraction and can be visited most days of the year.

In the Middle Ages, Melle flourished as a town as we can see from its surviving medieval houses and the three churches, built in the Romanesque style

Romanesque architecture

Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...

 during the 11th and 12th centuries.

Sights

Melle is an ancient town which has traditional French architecture, some dating back before the 17th century.

Melle is the site of the oldest silver mine in Europe still open to the public. The mine itself is some 20 km (12.4 mi) long, and visitors can explore 350 m of it, with guided tours each day.

The church of Saint-Hilaire is the most beautiful of the three Melle churches, all of which merit a visit. Saint-Hilaire has an "ecclesiastical juke-box" which plays hymns and chants. The church of Saint-Hilaire was listed as a UNESCO

UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

 World Heritage Site

World Heritage Site

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...

 as part of the World Heritage Sites of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France

World Heritage Sites of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France

In 1998, several sites in France were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites under the description: Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France....

.

Among other places to visit are the wash-houses and fountains of Melle. 400m from the church of Saint-Pierre is a small octagonal building with an arcade around. There you will find a fountain pouring from the rock, and the basin where women doing their washing gathered. In the meadow nearby is a medieval fountain and basin, known as the Pré de la Maladerie, which was reserved for lepers.

Melle also boasts a 6 km (3.7 mi) walk known as the 'Arboretum, Chemin de la Découverte'. This walk passes more than 1000 species of trees and shrubs from the temperate areas of the world, and a collection of over 100 roses.

Melle today

Today, Melle is a vibrant small town. It is the major hub of business for the nearby towns of Saint-Léger

Saint-Léger-de-la-Martinière

Saint-Léger-de-la-Martinière is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.-References:*...

, Chef-Boutonne

Chef-Boutonne

Chef-Boutonne is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France.-Geography:The Boutonne has its source in the commune, hence its name, Chef-Boutonne meaning head of the Boutonne.-References:*...

, and Celles-sur-Belle

Celles-sur-Belle

Celles-sur-Belle is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France.-References:*...

 and this is demonstrated by its large business community and by the fact that it is home to the lycée (high school) for the region. Melle and the surrounding countryside is known for its own particular type of goat's cheese, 'chabichou

Chabichou

Chabichou is a traditional soft, unpasteurized, natural-rind French goat cheese with a firm and creamy texture.Chabichou is aged for 10 to 20 days.-History:...

'.

The rural atmosphere of Melle can be experienced nowhere better than at the weekly market (every Friday), selling fresh vegetables, meat, bread, cheeses and many other French delicacies, as well as clothing and household goods. The area surrounding Melle is full of Romanesque châteaux, mills, fountains and wash houses. There are forests of chestnut, walnut and parasol pines.

The town boasts a variety of traditional shops, as well as two large supermarkets and several restaurants featuring regional French cuisine, a popular steak house, and a pizza parlour.

Around Melle

One of the finest zoos in France is not far away. Zoorama in the Forest of Chizé, commune of Villiers-en-Bois

Villiers-en-Bois

Villiers-en-Bois is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.-References:*...

, contains 600 animals in large enclosures, which can be observed from Hides and ditches.

Lambon, 10 km (6.2 mi) from Melle is a wonderful leisure centre for families. Rowing, sailing, swimming and fishing are all catered for, as is horse-riding over the 50 hectares of the site. There are also tennis courts and a children's playground.