Saint-Benoît-du-Sault
Encyclopedia
Saint-Benoît-du-Sault is a commune
in the Indre
department in central France
.
It is a medieval village , perched in a curve on a rocky butte overlooking the Portefeuille River in the former province
of Berry
.
In 1988, it was named one of "the most beautiful villages of France."
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Located in the area of Gaul
settled by a powerful Celt
ic tribe, the Bituriges
, "Kings of the World" (summa penes imperii bituriges), powerful until their defeat against Julius Caesar
at Bourges
(Avaricum), part of Roman
Aquitania
.
Two dolmens (Passebonneau and des Gorces) near to Saint-Benoît-du-Sault attest to the ancientness of human presence, if not of the Bituriges. Ten centuries later, in 974, some benedictine monks of Sacierges-Saint-Martin
took refuge on a granite spur, where they founded a priory: Salis, future Saint-Benoît-du-Sault. From the 10th to the 17th century, the history of the priory
and the new village
is made up of resistance to the possessive desires of feudal neighbours, such as the Limoges and de Brosse family.
The town was surrounded by a double line of ramparts
. The first, the most ancient, protected the priory, the church and the fort, the second established in the 15th century, encircled the commercial part.
Still today, its maze of narrow cobbled streets are a must to explore, and makes Saint-Benoît-du-Sault a beautiful medieval town
.
Of architectural significance:
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 Indre
Indre
Indre is a department in the center of France named after the river Indre. The inhabitants of the department are called Indriens.-History:Indre is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
department in central 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 a medieval village , perched in a curve on a rocky butte overlooking the Portefeuille River in the former province
Provinces of France
The Kingdom of France was organised into provinces until March 4, 1790, when the establishment of the département system superseded provinces. The provinces of France were roughly equivalent to the historic counties of England...
of Berry
Berry (province)
Berry is a region located in the center of France. It was a province of France until the provinces were replaced by départements on 4 March 1790....
.
In 1988, it was named one of "the most beautiful villages of France."
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France is an independent association, created in 1982, which aims to promote assets of small and picturesque French villages of quality heritage...
History
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
settled by a powerful Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic tribe, the Bituriges
Bituriges
The Bituriges was a tribe with its capital at Bourges .Early in the 1st century BCE, they had been one of the main tribes, especially in terms of Druids and their political influence. But they soon declined in power as the Druids were an important target for Julius Caesar in his conquest of Gaul...
, "Kings of the World" (summa penes imperii bituriges), powerful until their defeat against Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
at Bourges
Bourges
Bourges is a city in central France on the Yèvre river. It is the capital of the department of Cher and also was the capital of the former province of Berry.-History:...
(Avaricum), part of Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
Aquitania
Gallia Aquitania
Gallia Aquitania was a province of the Roman Empire, bordered by the provinces of Gallia Lugdunensis, Gallia Narbonensis, and Hispania Tarraconensis...
.
Two dolmens (Passebonneau and des Gorces) near to Saint-Benoît-du-Sault attest to the ancientness of human presence, if not of the Bituriges. Ten centuries later, in 974, some benedictine monks of Sacierges-Saint-Martin
Sacierges-Saint-Martin
Sacierges-Saint-Martin is a commune in the Indre department in central France.-Geography:The commune is located in the parc naturel régional de la Brenne.The river Abloux flows westward through the northern part of the commune.-References:*...
took refuge on a granite spur, where they founded a priory: Salis, future Saint-Benoît-du-Sault. From the 10th to the 17th century, the history of the priory
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
and the new village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
is made up of resistance to the possessive desires of feudal neighbours, such as the Limoges and de Brosse family.
The town was surrounded by a double line of ramparts
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
. The first, the most ancient, protected the priory, the church and the fort, the second established in the 15th century, encircled the commercial part.
Still today, its maze of narrow cobbled streets are a must to explore, and makes Saint-Benoît-du-Sault a beautiful medieval town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
.
Sights
- Belfry.
- 14th-century portal.
- 14th-century Roman Priory. (Monuments HistoriquesMonument historiqueA monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
) - The medieval city in general.
- Castle of BrosseChâteau de BrosseThe Château de Brosse is an ancient fortress located near Saint-Benoît-du-Sault and Chaillac in a very centered area of France called Berry.It was built during the 10th century by the de Brosse family...
People
Famous people associated with Saint-Benoît-du-Sault:- Hervé FayeHervé FayeHervé Auguste Étienne Albans Faye was a French astronomer, born at Saint-Benoît-du-Sault and educated at the Ecole Polytechnique, which he left in 1834, before completing his course, to accept a position in the Paris Observatory to which he had been appointed on the recommendation of M. Arago.He...
: (1814–1902) Astronomer. - François-Timoléon de ChoisyFrançois-Timoléon de ChoisyFrançois Timoléon, abbé de Choisy was a French author.-Life:He was born in Paris. His father was attached to the household of the duke of Orléans, and his mother, who was on intimate terms with Anne of Austria, was regularly called upon to amuse Louis XIV...
: (1644–1724) Priest and author.
External links
- Saint-Benoît-du-Sault in pictures
- Saint-Benoît-du-Sault seen by Willy Ronis
- Wikitravel:Saint-Benoît-du-Sault