The best running trails around Breuillet

Chaillevette, from the Saintongeais "Chaille" which means "pebble" is a small town in Charente Maritime with 1620 inhabitants, on the Arvert Peninsula. Nestled on the left bank of the Seudre, in a setting of salt marshes, punctuated by "claires" where oysters are refined. The refinement gives them this blue-green color and this typical iodized flavor. Oyster farming by oyster farmers is an essential resource for maintaining two pretty ports: The port of Chatressac, (which almost entered history in the 17th century, having been considered for a time to accommodate the Grand arsenal maritime du Ponant wanted by Louis XIV, which was finally built further north and gave birth to the city of Rochefort), and the port of Chaillevettte. Typical with their oyster huts in various and shimmering colors, bordering the channel and welcoming barges, these two ports have managed to preserve their picturesque character. However, you can enjoy local products in the "tasting huts" and especially the oysters that make our town famous as the "cradle of the oyster". Each of these ports is animated each year by the July 14 festival in Chatressac and the August 15 festival in Chaillevette. In the Chaillevetonne countryside, the cultivation of cereals such as wheat or corn finds its place, without forgetting the vines, which will be used to produce, among other things, the Charente country wine, pineau and cognac.

The first church was in the old cemetery of Chaillevette, but as the Catholic population grew, it was decided to build a second, larger one, 500 meters away, near a square that used to be a cemetery. Nothing remains of the first church. The current church, with a very simple plan, was consecrated in 1777. Inside the Saint-Pierre church is an ex-voto three-masted trading barge from the 19th century, the Saint-Victor. The ship is suspended from the vault and supported by a base.

The SAINT-PIERRE church dominates the village from its fortified bell tower. Original in many ways, the Romanesque building houses a holy water font made of a real shell. From the side, you reach the small garden of the chevet, well hidden. Stone sarcophagi (Merovingian or Carolingian depending on the source) bear witness to the archaeological excavations that the church has undergone. There are many stories in Mornac but that of the fire of August 2, 1943 marked the identity of the village. Indeed, the bell tower has not always had this appearance. It had the more traditional shape of a spire until lightning struck it. Many young students come to Mornac-sur-Seudre to participate in the clearing and the excavations that follow. Seduced by the local atmosphere, many of them stayed and opened the first craft workshops in the village, some of which are still present, such as pottery and leather.

Succeeding a Merovingian church whose remains were discovered in 1951 (as well as a cemetery dating from the 6th century), the foundation of the current church could date back to the 10th or 11th century. with a modernization in the 12th century, where it takes more or less its current appearance. The bell tower was destroyed during the Hundred Years' War and then rebuilt with the facade in the 15th century. A fire due to a violent storm affected the bell tower in 1943. The upper part was reinterpreted by the addition of square bays giving it a defensive character. The slate spire has not gone up. The Saint-Pierre church is a Romanesque building with certain archaic features. The facade, of great severity, dates from the 15th century. Almost devoid of ornamentation, it consists of a broken arched portal with prismatic moldings, confined by a Gothic niche (on the right) and surmounted by a narrow bay. The nave, formerly divided into 5 bays, now has only 4, separated by columns backed by pilasters. The whole was originally covered with ribbed vaults, destroyed in 1837, replaced by an arched vault and subsequently dismantled in turn. The nave is covered with an exposed framework. Large transept arches delimit the square of the transept, covered with a barlong dome on squinches. The crosspieces are covered with a pointed barrel vault, and are extended by apsidioles. Semi-circular arcades, supported by fine columns with capitals decorated with plant or geometric motifs, punctuate the walls of the apse, covered with an oven bottom where traces of frescoes dating from the 12th century are visible, although degraded. century. The walls of the nave, the transept and part of the choir retain traces (from the 17th century) of the funeral liter of a lord of Mornac. The exterior offers, on the north wall, the remains of a Romanesque portal (11th century). The bedside, typical of the Saintongeais Romanesque, is made up of 3 horizontal registers, delimited by cords. The last level is made up of an arcade formed of arched arcades carried by columns with capitals decorated with plant, animal or geometric motifs. The whole is surmounted by a cornice with modillions where animals and human or demonic faces are represented. Buttress columns topped with capitals decorated with interlacing and stylized plants punctuate the walls

The market hall on the Place des Halles, which was probably built in the 16th century, consists of three naves that are divided by pillars made of quarry stone masonry. The open hall is closed by an octagonal tiled roof, which was renewed in the 20th century.

The Porte-Feu Médiéval lighthouse was erected in 2006 as part of a local community initiative. This medieval lighthouse features the signaling system used in the 16th century to guide sailors into the city's port. Although it is not lit at night or produces smoke during the day, it offers a fascinating insight into historic maritime navigation.

There you can discover a unique blend of Romanesque architecture and medieval history. The church, which dates from the 11th or 12th century, has a characteristic tower and a severe 15th century facade. Don't miss the intriguing barlong dome of the transept and the remains of Merovingian sarcophagi near the choir.

This is one of the many maintenance stations found in Charente Maritime. It's quite handy if you need to repair your bike or inflate your tires.