Located in the heart of the Thouet valley, between Marais poitevin and Saumurois, this small city of character will charm the visitor as much by its architectural heritage as its natural landscapes and its raised countryside.
The medieval town is known as "Auréa Vallis" which means the "Golden Valley" or "clear valley". Today, there are many remains of the abbey of Augustins founded in the tenth century. Its abbey Saint-Pierre is one of the major Romanesque buildings in Poitou.
The commercial activity of the city developed at the end of the Middle Ages, around the halls, in the heart of the medieval city. The economic boom was amplified in the nineteenth century with the arrival of the railway. The geological resources of the territory, between limestone and granite allowed the development of a lime industry from the nineteenth century.
