Chadenac is a commune of Charente-Maritime in the Aquitaine region, 30 km south-east of Saintes.
The territory of the locality belongs to the historical region of Saintonge, which had rank of province under the Old regime, and which was over the centuries influenced or even successively disputed by the dukes of Aquitaine, the counts of Anjou and Poitiers.
Step on one of the roads of Saint-Jacques busiest, Chadenac was a time with a fortified castle that had acquired in the early fifteenth century the knight Jacques Poussard, mayor of La Rochelle and especially the king's chamberlain.
This fortress has disappeared, but the village has however retained many Merovingian remains and a beautiful Romanesque church.
However, its wealth now is mostly related to its vineyards. Its discreetly undulating landscape lends itself to the cultivation of the vine, the essential of the 14 km ² of the communal surface is classified in cognac appellation zone, in the heart of the area known as "Petite Champagne".
Nicknamed "the Marquise de la Saintonge" by the novelist François Mauriac, located less than an hour from the Gironde estuary and beaches, Chadenac which has nearly 500 inhabitants is definitely worth a visit during a stay in the region Charentais.
The heritage jewel of the small town of a village and several hamlets is the church of St. Martin.
Romanesque style characteristic of the Saintonge, it dates from the twelfth century for its oldest parts. The rectangular choir, part of the transept and its chapel are vaulted with ogives, but the vault of the nave was destroyed during the Wars of Religion. We also observe that the building has a dome. However, the most remarkable element of the building listed as a Historic Monument since 1883 is its facade adorned with numerous sculptures depicting characters and bestiaries illustrating the struggle between the "good" and the "evil". We recognize figures of saints but also heads of devils, lunatics, monsters... In addition, inside, there is a tabernacle, a cross and a altar of the nineteenth century of fine craftsmanship.
Near the church, it is a real small museum that is accessible. We discover an old milestone (road) formerly located along the Roman road from Saintes. There is another Latin inscription indicating that the marker marked the 24th Roman mile (about 35 km) from Saintes. Dating from the 1st century, the terminal has been moved from its original location. But the most remarkable is that this Roman vestige of limestone was dug a few centuries later to form a Merovingian sarcophagus. Beside this real curiosity, other vestiges are exposed. Visible every day. Free access. Information on +33 5 46 91 22 13.
This aspect of the local history discovered, then places to leisure and activities "nature".
On the village itself, a football field and a tennis court are available to visitors and tourists in free access.
For hiking enthusiasts, the territory allows you to take the old Saint-Jacques path from Saintes, to join the GR4 connecting Royan to the Mediterranean, but trails are also accessible along the wine plots. Breaks "tasting" at some cognac producers are then possible... Maps and information on +33 5 45 82 10 71 or +33 5 46 96 13 31.
