The best road cycling routes around Saint-Jean-D'Angély

🏛️ Construction: 18-19 AD The arch was built around 18-19 AD, during the reign of Emperor Tiberius. It stood at the entrance to the Roman bridge crossing the Charente, at the outlet of the Via Agrippa, which connected Lyon to Saintes. It is therefore not truly a "triumphal arch": it was both a road monument and a monumental gate marking the entrance to Mediolanum Santonum, the capital of Roman Aquitaine. 👤 Who had it built? The arch was financed by Caius Julius Rufus, a Romanized notable from Saintonge. He dedicated it to Tiberius as well as his nephew Germanicus. The inscriptions engraved on the entablature still allow us today to know the figures to whom it was dedicated. The name "Arch of Germanicus" therefore comes from this dedication, and not from the fact that Germanicus personally had the arch built or crossed it. 🏗️ A rather exceptional monument The arch has two bays, likely allowing for the differentiation of traffic flows. It measures approximately 15 m high by 16 m wide. Its Corinthian and composite capitals bear witness to particularly meticulous Roman architecture. It constituted a true demonstration of the power and Romanization of Saintes. ⚠️ The moment the arch almost disappeared This is probably the most interesting episode in its history. For centuries, the arch was always located at the level of the Roman bridge and then the medieval bridge, on the right bank of the Charente. In the 19th century, the old bridge had become dilapidated. When it was decided to demolish it, around 1843, the arch was also threatened with destruction. It was then that Prosper Mérimée, Inspector General of Historical Monuments, intervened. He advocated for its preservation and arranged for its dismantling, relocation, and reassembly on the new bank. Another figure is also associated with this preservation: Victor Hugo, who stayed in Saintes in September 1843 and intervened in favor of the monument's conservation with Mérimée. 📍 Why is the arch no longer exactly in its ancient location? The arch we see today, on Place Bassompierre, is therefore no longer in its original location. It was moved a few dozen meters during the transformation of the quays and the disappearance of the old bridge. It was dismantled stone by stone and then reassembled in order to preserve it. It is now located in the immediate vicinity of the ancient Roman bridge crossing. 🏛️ Protection The Arch of Germanicus was finally classified as a historical monument in July 1905. An interesting detail The Crazannes quarries, located near Saintes, supplied a limestone widely used in the region's ancient constructions. Crazannes stone was notably used for monuments such as the Arch of Germanicus. In summary: 18-19 → construction of the arch at the entrance to the Roman bridge ↓ Antiquity → Middle Ages → the arch remains associated with the crossing of the Charente ↓ 1843 → demolition of the old bridge and threat to the arch ↓ 1843-1844 → Mérimée's intervention and relocation of the arch ↓ 1905 → classified as a Historical Monument

The monumental ruins of the church of St-Pierre de Puyrolland, isolated on a promontory overlooking the Trézence valley, add to the appeal of this beautiful natural site. The high-quality sculpture of the Romanesque portal stands alongside the Gothic elements of the choir, and the charm is captivating. The legend attributes the paternity of this mound to Roland, nephew of Charlemagne. The site is said to have hosted a maison-Dieu (a monastery-hospital intended to accommodate pilgrims and the poor), occupied by the monks of St-Romuald, where a Romanesque church was built. Remains of the first 12th-century construction still exist, notably the lower part of the west facade and two small narrow bays on the north and south walls. After the Hundred Years' War, the building was partially rebuilt: the flat chevet, a bay with Gothic tracery, and the buttresses bear witness to this work. The Wars of Religion led to further destruction and partial reconstruction, as the first two bays of the nave were then closed off to form a modest building that still serves as a parish church today. Work carried out in the 18th and 19th centuries included, among other things, the addition of the tall campanile on the facade, pierced with two round-arched bays. The ruined part of the church was consolidated and restored in the 90s.

A very beautiful archway!

Impressive bridge. Well worth seeing!

A truly interesting bridge. It's worth a stop.

To visit!

Almost obligatory passage to cross the Charente, but it’s worth the detour

Beautiful door