Attractions and Places To See around Vaux-Lavalette - Top 15

The Notre-Dame de Charmant church dates from the end of the 11th century. It is Romanesque and has a remarkable bell tower, in an octagonal pyramid. This bell tower, destroyed by a storm, was rebuilt in 1843. Inside, some beautiful murals remain, including one of the Assumption. Two crosses pattées sculpted on its facade to the left of the portal may suggest that it was a Templar possession in the 13th century. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89glise_Notre-Dame_de_Charmant https://monumentum.fr/monument-historique/pa00104282/boisne-la-tude-eglise-notre-dame

The title suggests an unusual village; it is not. It is an isolated village composed of old houses without any particular style. In my eyes, the only points of interest are the church (which you can't walk around and which doesn't offer much in terms of its exterior facade), the chapel near the cemetery (very basic, you just walk around it without leaving more cultured) and the castle which offers accommodation as a bed and breakfast. The village as a whole is not essential, like the town hall building: bland, aged with a poorly preserved authenticity.

Primitive in style, built in the 11th or 12th century, the Saint-Eutrope church was built on the site of a previous place of worship. It was first a perpetual vicariate dependent on the abbey of Cluny. The building was restored and modified at the end of the 19th century by the architect Paul Abadie who mainly had the bell tower remodeled by adding a second floor, consisting on each side of three bays with two arches on a straight foot and topped with a fairly high pyramidal spire. It has a wooden frame covered in slate. Shortly before the storm of 1999, some work was carried out in order to restore its former character, in particular the unvaulted nave, thus revealing the original wooden frame. This work made it possible to uncover a small door leading to the outside located to the left of the nave and near the choir. Door that can be found in many Romanesque churches (such as the church of Montmoreau). The location of these doors is said to evoke the lance thrust to the heart that Christ received on the cross. This opening was transformed into a niche to house the statue of the Virgin and Child Jesus. The bell tower houses two bells: the first weighs 110 kg and dates from 1725, the second weighs 375 kg and dates from 1890. The exterior staircase leading to the bell tower is very special. It is of the self-supporting type: that is to say that each step sealed in the wall rests partially on the previous one. There are two other staircases of this type in the town. https://www.montmoreau.fr/index-module-orki-page-view-id-115.html

A small Charentais village with nothing in particular until we discover the "priest's garden", a garden maintained and preserved by the inhabitants around the church.

The Notre-Dame parish church dates from the end of the 11th century. It is Romanesque and has a remarkable bell tower, in an octagonal pyramid. This bell tower, destroyed by a storm, was rebuilt in 1843. Inside, some beautiful murals remain, including one of the Assumption. Two crosses pattée carved on its facade to the left of the portal may suggest that it was a Templar possession in the 13th century.

The extraordinary history of this grandiose residence began in 1924, in the heart of a small 19th century manor (to the left of the current façade): the troubadour castel of La Mercerie was then acquired by Alphonse and Raymond Réthoré. From then on, the two brothers, dreaming of the great Versailles, devoted all their resources to enlarging and embellishing the building. The work undertaken is commensurate with the ambition that drives it. Outside, colonnades and balusters in white stone soon extend the first building. the cut stone increases the gigantism and the rigor of a facade with a perfect rhythm. Inside, nothing is too beautiful for La Mercerie, Raymond brings back from his travels furniture and paintings, chandeliers and precious woods, marbles from Italy, azulejos from Portugal etc. He returns from Italy with a painter sculptor who will carry out on the spot the most monumental decorations with the assistance of the inhabitants of the country. The treasures are piling up, but 30 years of work will not be enough to complete the colossal project. The collections are dispersed during auctions in June 1987. When the two brothers died, the castle fell into oblivion, until the mobilization of the inhabitants of the town, who decided to found an association to safeguard this unique and prestigious heritage. The Béruges room, the central living room, the Vernet living room, the vestibule, the mahogany gallery and the large Azulejos gallery, each more impressive than the last, now fully conquers the visitor eager for cultural discoveries. A short tour of the belvedere of the castle allows you to admire it from the height. In the park of the castle, the rose garden and the arboretum can be visited by little train. The little train is random due to the health context and will be reserved for people with reduced mobility and children, and mainly on Sundays.

Pretty castle in height after a climb from Angoulême

Villebois-Lavalette castle is a real citadel overlooking the village of Villebois-Lavalette. Surrounded by a fortress with seven towers, it stands between Charente and Périgord. A medieval atmosphere floats at its approach. This medieval castle more than a thousand years old, with exceptional architecture, overlooks a charming village labeled "Small City of Character" and "capital of Cornuelle". In 1980, this old citadel was crumbling under ivy, brambles and time, a dynamic was set in motion for its restoration for 18 years. In 2000, Mr. Norbert FRADIN, promoter and patron from Bordeaux passionate about heritage and its preservation, became the owner. He is working to restore it to give it back its superb appearance, its impressive enclosure bristling with seven towers finally reveals its secrets. Something to delight all curious young and old, as well as history lovers.