Sancerre(French pronunciation:[sɑ̃sɛʁ]) is a medieval hilltop town andcommunein thedepartmentofCher,Centre-Val de Loire,France, overlooking the riverLoire.It is a member ofLes Plus Beaux Villages de France(The Most Beautiful Villages of France) Association, noted for its wine and for inventingCrottin de ChavignolCheese.
Sancerre | |
|---|---|
 A general view of Sancerre | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Sancerre  | |
  Sancerre  Sancerre | |
| Coordinates:47°19′55″N2°50′24″E/ 47.332°N 2.840°E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Centre-Val de Loire |
| Department | Cher |
| Arrondissement | Bourges |
| Canton | Sancerre |
| Intercommunality | CC Pays Fort Sancerrois Val de Loire |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2020–2026) | Laurent Pabiot[1] |
Area 1 | 16.27 km2(6.28 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[2] | 1,329 |
| • Density | 82/km2(210/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Sancerrois·e |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00(CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00(CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 18241/18300 |
| Elevation | 146–366 m (479–1,201 ft) (avg. 310 m or 1,020 ft) |
| 1French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2(0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
History
editLocated in the area ofGaulsettled by the powerfulCeltic(Gaule Celtique) tribe, theBituriges,or the "Kings of the World", and after their defeat atBourges(Avaricum), part ofRomanAquitania.Some evidence points to the existence of an early hillside Roman temple dedicated toJulius Caesar;located on theRoman road(Gordaine) fromBourgesto the river town of Gordona (Castle-Gordon), nowSaint ThibaultandSaint Satur.Name possibly derived from "Sacred to Caesar" and later Christianized to "Saint-Cere". During theCarolingianperiod there was a small village on the hillside, clustered around the Saint Romble Church. AnAugustinianabbey was founded in Saint Satur in 1034. A natural fortress 312 meters in height, Sancerre is a former feudal possession of thecounts of Champagne(1152) in theprovinceofBerry.They built a chateau on the hill and ramparts to protect the city. The chateau had six towers including the Tower of the Strongholds (Tour des Fiefs) and the Tower of Saint George. In times of war, a fire was lit on the top of the Saint George tower that could be seen for 40 kilometres (25 mi) around. The Customs of Lorris (1155), a charter granted byStephen Ito the merchants of Sancerre was considered one of the most progressive in theCapetiankingdom. In 1184, the count of Sancerre led a band of rebels called theBrabançonsagainst the king. They were defeated by theConfrères de la Paix,the Confraternity of Peace, a group charged with keeping order in the kingdom. In 1190, Stephen I was among the first feudal lords to abolish serfdom. The fortified city repelled the English forces twice during theHundred Years' Warbut much of the surrounding area, including the Augustinian Abbey in Saint Satur and Saint Romble, were destroyed by the forces ofEdward, the Black Prince.Sancerre was the seat ofJoan of Arc's great comrade-in-arms,Jean V de Bueil.
Sancerre was also the site of the infamoussiege of Sancerre(1572–1573) during theWars of Religionwhere theHuguenotpopulation held out for nearly eight months against the Catholic forces of the king. The siege was one of the last times in European history whereslings(trebuchet), the "Arquebuses of Sancerre", were used in warfare. The siege was documented by a Protestant minister who survived the battle,Jean de Léry,inThe Memorable History of the Siege of Sancerre.[3]In 1621 much of the feudal chateau and city walls were destroyed by orders of the king to prevent further resistance. In 1637 the county was sold byRene de Bueilto theprince of Condé,Henry II of Bourbon,the governor of Berry. The area suffered economically from the mass exodus of Protestant merchants, tradesmen and others during the 17th century, especially after the revocation of theEdict of Nantes(1685).
During theFrench Revolution,Sancerre was the site of a royalist rebellion led byLouis-Edmond de Phelippeaux– small "Vendee Sancerroise". Sancerre was designated the seat of government for the district during the First Republic, but in 1926 the sous-préfecture and other administrative services were transferred toBourges.CountJean-Pierre de Montalivet,of Chateau deThauvenay,Minister of the Interior underNapoleon,was a large landowner in Sancerre during the 19th century.
Area transportation was improved by the construction of a suspension bridge at Saint Thibault (1834), theLateral Canal of the Loire(1838) and later, the Bourges-Sancerre railroad line (1885). A mansion was built on the ruins of the original Chateau de Sancerre in 1874 by Mlle de Crussol d'Uzèsin the style ofLouis XII.In 1919, the mansion and part of the vineyards were purchased byLouis-Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle,the liqueur manufacturer. DuringWorld War I,Sancerre was the site of a military hospital.
DuringWorld War II,Sancerre was a regional command center for theFrench Resistance."Operation Spencer” in 1944 was to prevent the Germans from crossing the riverLoirebetweenGienandNeversand reinforcing troops inBrittany.TheFrench ResistanceandFree French Forcesblew up the bridge at Sancerre and sabotaged communication, road, canal and railway lines. On 25 June 1944 German troops based inCosne-sur-Loireset fire to the village ofThauvenayin reprisal for an ambush of theFrench Resistance,burning 23 houses, executing six men, a 7-year-old boy and taking eleven people hostage. Among the hostages wasPaul de Lavenne de Choulot, comte de Chabaud la Tour,owner of Chateau deThauvenay.Taken toBourges,Paul de Choulot pleaded toAlfred Stanke,the "Franciscan of Bourges," a German monk and medical orderly who helped save hundreds during World War II, to spare the rest of the commune.
Economy
editKnown principally for the production of red wine from thePinot noirgrape until the 20th century, the Sancerre area was devastated byphylloxerain the late 19th century. The vineyards were replanted inSauvignon blanc(also seeSancerre (wine)). In 1936 Sancerre white was givenAOC(INAO) status; reds were classified in 1959. The area now produces white, red and rose wine. The following communes fall inside the "Sancerre" and "Sancerre-Loire Valley" controlled label of origin area:Bannay,Bué,Crézancy-en-Sancerre,Menetou-Râtel,Ménétréol-sous-Sancerre,Montigny,Saint-Satur,Sainte-Gemme-en-Sancerrois,Sancerre,Sury-en-Vaux,Thauvenay,Veaugues,VerdignyetVinon.
The area is also noted for itsgoat cheese.The nearby village ofChavignol,which gave its name to the cheese –Crottin de Chavignol– is located on the territory of the commune.
Population
edit| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 2,461 | — |
| 1975 | 2,460 | −0.01% |
| 1982 | 2,139 | −1.98% |
| 1990 | 2,059 | −0.48% |
| 1999 | 1,799 | −1.49% |
| 2009 | 1,667 | −0.76% |
| 2014 | 1,444 | −2.83% |
| 2020 | 1,340 | −1.24% |
| Source: INSEE[4] | ||
Sights
editOf architectural significance: Belfry of St. Jean, a 16th-century bell tower built by the prosperous merchants of Sancerre; Tour des Fiefs (1390), the lone remaining tower of the feudal chateau; and the ruins of Saint Romble, a medieval church destroyed by the English.
Jacques Coeur house: 15th-century house owned at one time by Jacques Coeur, financier and royal adviser to King Charles VII.
Maison des Sancerre: Wine exposition located in 14th–16th-century house with tower.
Hotel de la Thaumassière: 17th-century house built by César Thaumassière, doctor of Henry II of Bourbon.
The city is a cobweb of twisted streets with many buildings surviving from the Middle Ages.
International relations
editSancerre is twinned with
Personalities
edit- Stephen I of Sancerre(Étienne I), Count of Sancerre (1133–1191) Crusader; died at thesiege of Acre.
- Etienne II of Sancerre,Count of Sancerre (1252–1306) Grand Bouteiller of France
- Louis II de Sancerre,Count of Sancerre (died 26 August 1346) One of the few French nobles to penetrate the English front line at theBattle of Crécy.Killed in the battle.
- Louis de Sancerre,Marshal of France,Constable of France(1342–1402) Buried inSaint Denis Basilicanear KingCharles V.
- Stephen of Sancerre,Lord of Vailly (d. 1390 in Tunis) Died fighting the Moors under the command of Louis II de Bourbon, Duke of Bourbon (1337–1410).
- Jean V de Bueil,Admiral of France(1406–1477) ThePlague of the Englishand author ofLe Jouvencel.
- Jean de Léry,Protestant minister and author,History of a Voyage to the Land of Brazil,1578 andThe Memorable History of the Siege of Sancerre,1574.
- Samuel Bernard,comte de Coubert (1651–1739) Protestant Financier
- Count Louis of Sancerre,companion of explorerSieur de la Salle,1682.
- Jean-Charles Perrinet d'Orval(1707–1782), pyrotechnician
- Étienne MacDonald,Duke ofTaranto,Marshal of France(1765–1840)Napoleonmade him Marshal of France on the battlefield atWagram.
- Jean-Pierre Bachasson,comte deMontalivet(1766–1823) French statesman
- Louis Mairet,Commander of theLegion of Honor,Companion of theOrder of Liberation(1916–1998) Parachutist with the Free French Squadron; destroyed the bridge at Sancerre inWorld War II.
- Béatrice Bulteau(1959–2024), equine artist
See also
editReferences
edit- ^"Répertoire national des élus: les maires"(in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
- ^"Populations légales 2021"(in French).The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies.28 December 2023.
- ^Waite 2015,p. 187.
- ^Population en historique depuis 1968,INSEE
Sources
edit- Waite, Gary K (2015).Exile and Religious Identity, 1500–1800.Taylor & Francis.
