Small town of Vienne, at the confluence of Clain, the Palace and the Vonne, Vivonne takes place at about twenty kilometers from Poitiers. Labeled village stage in the early 2000s, it is located not far from Cloué, Lusignan or Marçay.
Installed on a rocky outcrop, the city of Vivonne has developed over the centuries thanks to its very favorable geographical location. Populated since the Paleolithic, this green territory is also rich in villas in the Gallo-Roman era. After an important passage of the Merovingian civilization, the city extends strongly to the Middle Ages, in particular with the appearance of a castle in Xe century. Trade and crafts are developing quietly, before the arrival of a railroad in the nineteenth century that definitely anchors Vivonne in its time.
Labeled Green Station, Vivonne attracts many visitors each year for its preserved landscapes and lush nature, but also for its architectural and cultural heritage.
Listed as a historic monument, the Saint-Georges church is a former prieurale rebuilt in the second half of the 13th century. The ogival crossings of his nave date back to the fifteenth century and bear the arms of the great Rochechouart family. Owned by the Angevin style, the building also bears witness to the beginnings of the Gothic style. Inside, it is possible to admire a painting of the early seventeenth century revealing donors worshiping Christ. According to local legend, it was within this church that Ravaillac had his visions for him to assassinate King Henry IV.
A 14th century building rebuilt in the 17th century and restored in the 19th century, the Château de Cercigny was owned by the Rochechouart family until the 18th century. Partly destroyed by the Hundred Years War and then by the wars of religion, it consists of an old 14th century gatehouse, three rectangular wings remodeled in the 19th century, and a chapel Notre-Dame-de-France. Blessed consolation in the second half of the seventeenth century. Its northern dovecote is considered one of the largest in the department with 3300 boulins. The latter, like the Châtelet or the chapel, is listed as an historic monument.
While strolling in the city, you will also be able to discover the priory Saint-Georges, home of the 15th century of Gothic style whose door and the window are classified. It also reveals a beautiful spiral staircase, a corner sculpture or a Gothic fireplace.
From the 15th century, the Château de la Planche is listed as a historic monument for its gate and turret, while the manor of Jorigny, of the seventeenth century, is inscribed for its staircase, its chimney, its elevations, its roof and its interior decoration.
Right next to Vivonne, the wood of Brie is a classified site of ecological interest, faunistic and floristic. It offers several walks to discover an exceptional flora and fauna. The Vounant park is also very pleasant to enjoy sunny days.
The market is held on Tuesday and Saturday mornings. A Christmas market is also proposed in December. An annual flea market is organized on Thursday of the Ascension.
Every year in May, the city hosts its opera festival.
Fireworks and a ball are offered on July 13 for the National Day.
The feast of St. Michael, in September, is an opportunity to enjoy the carnival and the many events organized in the park Vounant.
The Vitivonne wine fair is being held on the third weekend of October.
