Arvert

Arvert
Commune
Saint Stephen church (17th century)
Location of Arvert
Arvert Arvert
Coordinates:45°44′30″N1°07′36″W
Country	France
Region	Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department	Charente-Maritime
Arrondissement	Rochefort
Canton	La Tremblade
Intercommunality	CA Royan Atlantique
Government
• Mayor(2020–2026)	Marie-Christine Peraudeau
Area 1	26.22 km2(10.12 sq mi)
Population (2021)	3,774
• Density	140/km2(370/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00(CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00(CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	17021/17530
Elevation	0–25 m (0–82 ft) (avg. 23 m or 75 ft)
1French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2(0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Arvert(French pronunciation:[aʁvɛʁ]) is acommunein theCharente-MaritimedepartmentandNouvelle-Aquitaineregion of south-westernFrance.

The inhabitants of the commune are known asAlvertonsorAlvertonnes.

Geography

Arvert is located some 14 km north-west ofRoyanand 8 km south ofMarennesin the heart of the Peninsula of Arvert and the Royannnais Natural Region in the continental section of theCôte de Beautéand near the famous Marennes-OléronOysterbasin between theSeudre,Gironde,and theAtlantic Ocean.There are two oyster ports in the commune: Coux and Grève à Duret.

The commune is the centre of a conurbation comprisingLa Tremblade(the main urban centre),Étaules,andChaillevetteand could be considered part of the outlying "suburbs" of Royan which is the main urban centre and economic hub of the area. Administratively it is part of thecanton of La Trembladeand thearrondissement of Rochefort.

Access to the commune is by the D14 main road running north-west to south-east connectingLa TrembladetoSaujonand passing north-west of the town. Access to the town is by the D14E1 road from La Tremblade through the town toÉtaules.The D141 also connects the town to the D14 and continues south-west toLes Mathes.The D25 starts in the commune and bypasses La Tremblade to the north and continues to Ronce-les-Bains. The D268 branches of the D25 in the commune and goes west to the beaches on the west coast.

As a significant economic and tourism centre, Arvert is located close to several large urban centres:Royan(14.7 km SE),Rochefort(30 km NE), andSaintes(38 km E). To a lesser extent,La Rochelle(47 km N) andBordeaux(110 km SSE) are large regional cities whose influence remains strong. Arvert is also close to many small centres of lesser importance:Étaules(2 km SE) andLa Tremblade(3 km NW), which form a single urban area;Breuillet(8 km SE),Marennes(10 km N), andBourcefranc-le-Chapus(12 km N) near the island ofOléron.

Arvert with the rest of the department belongs to theSouthern Francearea - or more specifically "South Atlantic".The commune also lies within two major geographical areas: theGrand-Ouestand theGrand South-West.Arvert has an area of 2,622 hectares consisting largely of agricultural land, forests (the edge of theForest of la Coubre) and reclaimed land (the city centre and the main villages of Piochet, Maine-Amouroux, Dirée, Villeneuve, le Boudignon, Avallon, and the oyster ports of Coux and Grève à Duret). The eastern part of the commune directly borders theSeudreestuary and is made up of oyster farms within the famous Marennes-Oléron basin. The countryside consists of humid green meadows and extensive gray-blue mudflats (the Seudre marshes) highlighted by golden lines of reeds, hedges, and aquatic plants with, in line of sight, the Marennes steeple forming a landmark.

The commune has a low relief, being formed of aCretaceousplateau with a slightly wavy border against the Seudre marshlands. It is partially dry (Pré des Landes is a relic of the former Gulf of Arvert which became the Barbareu Pond in the Middle Ages) drained by small rivers (Le Grand Ecours). The highest point of the commune barely exceeds 25 metres. The plateau rises to 12 metres at Martichou, 17 metres in front of the church, 20 metres at Maine-Amouroux, and 22 metres near the school.

Places and Hamlets

Entrance to Arvert

Arvert road

• Les Allains
• L'Anglade
• Arse
• Avallon
• Les Baudits
• La Beaune
• La Blague du Monde
• Blanchette
• Bois Volet
• Le Boudignon
• Les Boutinaudes
• Les Brassons
• Le Calme
• La Carolie Farm
• Cayenne
• La Champagne
• La Chapelaine
• Les Cinq Journaux
• Les Coutures
• Coux
• L'Etrade
• Fief de Bellevue
• Fief de Besse
• Le Fond d'Arse
• Les Fouilloux
• Le Fourniller
• Le Geay
• Grève à Duret
• La Guillate
• La Jument
• Les Justices
• Lerpine
• Maine
• Le Maine Amouroux
• Le Maine Gabaud
• La Metairie
• Montravail Farm
• Le Moulin Brute
• Le Moulin de Toinet
• Prise de Bremont
• Prise de Chateur Paire
• Prise de la Couronne
• Prise du Grand Jas de Coux
• Prise de la Peu Mignon
• Prise de la Roche
• Le Petit Pont
• Le Piochet
• La Pirouette
• Les Robinettes
• Les Romanes
• Savigny
• Treilebois Farm

Transport

Bicycle paths

The commune has a network of bicycle paths as part of the "Pathways of Seudre" - a collaboration between the Department Council, the Agglomeration Community Royan Atlantique, and the Community of communes of the Marennes basin. The network has been operated since 2007 and allows the exploration of oyster farms and the Seudre Marsh landscape.

Public Transport

The town is served by theCara'Buspublic transport network which connects to other communes in the Royannaise agglomeration. It was inaugurated on 2 January 2006 under the name "Très Royannais" and was originally composed of hybrid minibuses (electric and diesel). It has been operated since September 2008 by theVeolia Transportcompany and was renamed "Cara'Bus" since then.

A modernization of the urban transport network in the agglomeration on 5 January 2009 led to the purchase ofHeuliezshuttle buses as well as increasing the number of regular routes from three to ten with three additional routes in summer.

Five Cara'Bus stops are located in the commune: Maine-Giraud, Arvert-Mairie, Les Fouilloux, L'Étrade, and Le Petit Pont at the exit from the town on the border ofLes MathesandLa Tremblade.Three bus routes serve the commune:

• Route 42 starts atÉtaulespassing all the stops in the commune and going to La Tremblade, Ronce-les-Bains, andMarennes;*Route 41 starts from Ronce-les-Bains and goes toCozesvia La Tremblade, Arvert, Étaules, Chaillevette, Breuillet (Le Magarin stop),Saint-Sulpice-de-Royan(Fontbedeau stop),Saujon,Le Chay,andGrézac;
• Route 22 connects Ronce-les-Bains to the Royan multimodal railway station via La Tremblade, Arvert, Étaules, Chaillevette, Breuillet (Centre-Ville),Vaux-sur-Mer(Val Lumière shopping centre), andRoyan.

The commune is also served by theLes Mouettesdepartmental transport company, more specifically by the routes 409, 410, and 411 which connectBreuillettoBourcefranc-le-ChapusviaÉtaules,La Tremblade,andMarennes.This service links to the main cities of the department.

Air transport

The nearest airport is that of Rochefort Saint-Agnant, about 25 kilometres north. TheLa Rochelle – Île de Ré Airport,50 kilometres north, has services to some major French cities such asParisandLyonas well as theBritish IslesandNorthern Europe.About 100 kilometres south-east of the commune,Bordeaux - Merignac Airportis an international airport with connections to many countries.

TheRoyan – Médis Aerodrome,about 17 kilometres south-east, is reserved for light aviation.

Toponymy

The nameArvertcomes from theLatinartummeaning a "narrow place" andviridemeaning "green".

History

Arvert has been inhabited sinceNeolithictimes, the site of the present commune of Arvert was formerly limited to a narrow strip of land between two ocean bays. Although a first village appeared inRoman times,it was only from the 12th century that it grew in importance and a monastic community was established built using a grant from the Lord ofMornac.

Shortly afterwards Arvert became an independent lordship with many parishes under its jurisdiction: those ofTrembledam(nowLa Tremblade),Notre-Dame de l'Isle(nowÉtaules),Chaillevette,Les Mathes,and the parish ofLa Rochewhich no longer exists.

In 1534Calvinmade speeches atAngoulêmeandPoitiersthat young Saintonge monks from heard. Reform was soon preached in all of the Arvert peninsula and by 1550 the majority of the population wasProtestant.In 1546 and again in 1553 a total of three monks were condemned to the stake for having preached reform in Arvert.

In 1568 the church was burned and almost completely destroyed. In the same year the first Protestant church was built in the village.

In 1598 theEdict of Nanteswas promulgated. All means were tried to convert the Protestants. In 1644 the Protestant denomination was prohibited in Arvert.

In 1682 KingLouis XIVordered the destruction of the Protestant church. Therevocation of the Edict of Nantesin 1685 accelerated the exodus of Protestants from the peninsula despite the ban on leaving France imposed on them. Fugitives were arrested and sent to the galleys. On 21 February 1687 three boats loaded with fugitives leavingMornac,Chaillevette,andLa Trembladewere immobilized by soldiers on theSeudre.

Despite the arrests, the peninsula was emptied of its people. Those who remained created an underground church they called theChurch of the Desert.Clandestine meetings were held in the dunes, woods, or in barns.Jean-Louis Gibert,pastor of the Desert, fitted out the barns as "Houses of Prayer" from 1751. There were two near Arvert: one at Avallonand one atChaillevette.In 1754 the pastor was sentenced to death and went into exile in America.

Arvert was abaronyunder theancien régime,belonging toCardinal Richelieubefore moving to theSenectèrefamily. In 1790 Arvert was made into a commune. Shortly after a quarrel erupted between the representatives of the communes of La Tremblade and Arvert: each trying to become the capital of the canton. For economic reasons it was La Tremblade who finally obtained that privilege.

Occupied by German troops during the Second World War, the village was the scene of heavy fighting during the liberation of theRoyan pocketin April 1945.

Policy and Administration

Municipal administration

From 1789 to 1799, under the Act of 14 December 1789, themunicipal agents(equivalent to mayors) were directly elected for 2 years and re-elected by the working citizens of the town aged 25 years or more who paid a tax of at least 3 days of work in the commune. Those who were eligible paid a tax equivalent to at least ten working days.

The new Town Hall in the centre of town

From 1799 to 1848, under the constitution of22 Frimaire Year VIII(13 December 1799), mayors were appointed by theprefectfor communes with less than 5,000 inhabitants. The Restoration established the appointment of mayors and councillors. After the 1831 organic law mayors were appointed (by the king for communes with more than 3,000 inhabitants, by the prefect for smaller) but councillors were elected by censal suffrage for six years.

From 3 July 1848 to 1851 mayors were elected by the municipal council for communes with fewer than 6,000 inhabitants.

From 1851 to 1871 mayors were appointed by the prefect for communes with less than 3,000 inhabitants and for 5 years from 1855. After 1871 mayors were elected again except in the capital towns (of departments, arrondissements, or cantons).

It was on 28 March 1882 that the current law on municipal organization was passed which governed the principle of election of the mayor and the deputy by the council whatever the size of the commune (except for Paris). The law of 5 April 1884 fixed the term to four years, a duration increased to six years on 10 April 1929.

According to its size, the commune has a council of 23 members (Article L2121-2 of the General Code of local authorities).

List of Successive Mayors

From	To	Name	Party
1989	2001	René Morillon	PCF
2001	2020	Michel Priouzeau	DVG
2020	2026	Marie-Christine Peraudeau

Canton

Arvert is one of the six communes in the Canton of La Tremblade. In 2010 it was the second most populous town behind La Tremblade and above Étaules.

Inter-communality

Arvert is one of 34 communes adhering to the Urban Community of Royan Atlantique which includes the communes in the greater periphery ofRoyan.

Courts

Arvert depends on theTribunal d'instance(district court) and theConseil de prud'hommes(Labour Court) ofRochefort;theTribunal de grande instance(High Court), theTribunal pour enfants(Juvenile court), and theTribunal de commerce(Commercial Court) ofLa Rochelle;theTribunal administratif(Administrative Court) and theCour d'appel(Court of Appeal) ofPoitiers.TheCour administrative d'appel(Administrative Court of Appeal) is inBordeaux.

Local taxation

The taxation of households and businesses in Arvert in 2010

Taxe	Communal part	Inter-communal part	Departmental part	Regional part
Dwelling Tax (TH)	10.48%	0.00%	7.12%	0.00%
Land value taxon built properties (TFPB)	18.01%	0.00%	14.01%	3.32%
Land value tax on vacant land (TFPNB)	37.69%	0.00%	29.17%	8.63%
Business Tax (CFE)	0.00%	22.54%	0.00%	0.00%

A regional share of the Dwelling tax is not applicable.

Professional tax was replaced in 2010 by theLand premium for companies(CFE) on the rental value of their property and the value added contribution of the business sector (CAVE) (the two forming theTerritorial Economic Contribution(CET) which is a local tax introduced by the Finance Act 2010).

Population and Society

Demography

In 2017 the commune had 3,448 inhabitants.

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 2,650 — 1800 2,717 +0.36% 1806 2,496 −1.40% 1821 2,425 −0.19% 1831 2,402 −0.10% 1836 2,360 −0.35% 1841 2,432 +0.60% 1846 2,430 −0.02% 1851 2,539 +0.88% 1856 2,620 +0.63% 1861 2,627 +0.05% 1866 2,773 +1.09% 1872 2,483 −1.82% 1876 2,443 −0.41% 1881 2,532 +0.72% 1886 2,496 −0.29% 1891 2,571 +0.59% 1896 2,485 −0.68%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1901 2,494 +0.07% 1906 2,334 −1.32% 1911 2,323 −0.09% 1921 2,036 −1.31% 1926 1,957 −0.79% 1931 1,926 −0.32% 1936 2,071 +1.46% 1946 2,028 −0.21% 1954 2,003 −0.15% 1962 2,155 +0.92% 1968 2,183 +0.22% 1975 2,380 +1.24% 1982 2,541 +0.94% 1990 2,734 +0.92% 1999 2,887 +0.61% 2007 3,069 +0.77% 2012 3,259 +1.21% 2017 3,448 +1.13%
Source: EHESSand INSEE

Arvert Town Centre

Distribution of Age Groups

The population of the town is relatively old. The ratio of persons above the age of 60 years (32.9%) is higher than the national average (21.8%) and the departmental average (29.0%). Unlike national and departmental allocations, the male population of the town is less than the female population (47.2% against 48.1% nationally and 48.2% at the departmental level).

Percentage Distribution of Age Groups in Arvert and Charente-Maritime Department in 2017

	Arvert		Charente-Maritime
Age Range	Men	Women	Men	Women
0 to 14 Years	13.7	12.4	16.3	14.3
15 to 29 Years	14.6	11.9	15.4	13.1
30 to 44 Years	14.5	14.8	16.7	16.1
45 to 59 Years	20.3	20.5	20.2	19.9
60 to 74 Years	24.2	23.8	21.1	22.0
75 to 89 Years	12.1	14.5	9.4	12.3
90 Years+	0.7	2.0	1.0	2.4

Source:INSEE

Education

Street in Arvert

Arvert depends on theAcademy of Poitiers.The town has a kindergarten (small, medium, and large section) and an elementary school. Both schools have a school restaurant (self-service for students from the CP).

Youth policy is set across the Canton of La Tremblade. It is managed by a SIVOM (Syndicat intercommunal à vocations multiples) and aims to accommodate children outside school times.It consists of three divisions: infants, children (3–12 years), and youths (13–18 years). ThreeNursery schoolsare open to children of the canton: "La Farandole" and "Pirouettes Cacahuètes" in Arvert town centre, and "Les petites goules" at La Tremblade.

The cantonal leisure centre is located in the commune and is open to children from 3 years old. It is aSummer campwithout accommodation offering crafts, expression workshops, games, and activities (tree climbing, swimming, horseback riding, etc.). Mini-camps are organized during the summer. Finally, the "Maison de La Treille" at La Tremblade is open to youths aged 13 to 18 years. It offers sports activities, workshops, and outings (surfing, paintball, diving, etc.). It also offers a room with video games and internet access. Young people can also submit their own projects.

Health and Safety

The town has a general practice medical centre, two nursing centres, a physiotherapist, and a pharmacy. The nearby towns of La Tremblade, Étaules, and Royan offer a wider range of care with the presence of numerous specialists, a hospital with an emergency department, and two private clinics in Royan.

Security of property and people is ensured by the municipal police and the Police station at La Tremblade. The town also hosts a rescue centre with firemen.

Sports

The commune has many sports facilities in addition to those already present in the other communes of the agglomeration (La Tremblade, Étaules, and Chaillevette). The Valentin Guillon stadium is located close to the city centre and can accommodate 2,100 spectators (122 in the stands). It consists of two grass football pitches where the home team trains (Arvert Peninsula Football Club), a running track, and an area for jumping and throwing.

The town also has an indoor arena (indoor tennis, handball and basketball), two tennis courts, and a leisure park with a multi-sports area for teenagers, apetanquecourt, and a playground for children. Four hiking trails (walking or cycling) are available in the commune.

Media

Television

The transmitters at Royan-Vaux-sur-Mer andNiort-Maisonnayallow the reception of 18 free channels ofDigital terrestrial television(TNT) across the whole commune including the localFrance 3Poitou-Charentes station. On 31 May 2009, the high-power transmitter was among the first to broadcast a new multiplex which allowed the reception of the first transmissions ofHigh-definition television(HD).

Radio

Most national radio stations present in the department can be heard in the commune. Departmental information is relayed by public radio stationFrance BleuLa Rochelle.The local radio stations that can be heard in the commune are mainly:

• Vogue Radio(a local radio station of the commune whose studios are in the city centre and which is transmitted throughout the peninsula including Royan),
• Demoiselle FM(general broadcasting from Rochefort with studios inSaint-Georges-de-Didonne)
• Terre Marine FM(general broadcasting fromFouras)
• Mixx radio(techno, dance, and electronic music broadcasting fromCognacand retransmitted by theSaintestransmitter)
• RCF Accords Charente-Maritime(religious broadcasting from La Rochelle).

Wit FM(general broadcasting fromBordeaux) can sometimes be heard but randomly depending on weather conditions.

Press

Local press is represented by the dailySud Ouest,headquartered inBordeaux,which has a local edition fromRoyan.

Broadband Internet

AMain distribution frameis located in the commune. In 2013, it isunbundledby several alternative operators (SFR,Free,andBouygues Telecom)in addition to the incumbent operator,Orange.ADSL,ADSL2+,Re-ADSL 2,andADSL televisionare available in the commune.

Worship

Arvert belongs to theRoman Catholic Diocese of La Rochelle and Sainteswhich has been a sub-division of theEcclesiastical province of Poitierssince 2002 (Ecclesiastical Province of Bordeauxbefore that date) and the Deanery of Marennes-Oléron. The parish is included in the Parish of the Arvert Peninsula centred onMarennes.Mass is celebrated every Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m. in the church of Saint-Étienne.

Arvert houses a Church of theReformed Churchwhere there are services on some Sundays at 10:30am, alternating between La Tremblade, Marennes, Étaules, and Chaillevette.

Other religions do not have a place of worship in the town.

Market

Arvert Market Hall

A food market is held every Wednesday and Saturday morning (from 8:00am to 12:30pm) on the Market Square in the city centre. It brings together twice a week ten producers (fishmongers, butchers, vegetable sellers, etc.). The restructuring of the market place, initiated in the early 2010s, resulted in the construction of modern halls with simple lines and openwork. It was opened on 1 June 2011.

Economy

Employment

The Water Tower

The unemployment rate in the commune is higher than the national average. It was 14.9% in 1999 (national average 12.9%), 12.8% in 2006 (national average 9.8%) and 14.8% in 2017 (national average: 13.4%).

An "Employment point" was set up in 1992 at La Tremblade to attempt to regulate this problem and helping people adapt to changes in the labour market. Working in partnership with the Employment office of Pays Royannais, the Employment centre of Royan, seasonal workers office, and the local Pays Royonais, it provides access to job offers, helps with some tasks (e.g. resume writing, preparing for job interviews) and participates in collective briefings.

Businesses and shops

Oneboulangerie(bakery)

The commune is at the centre of an attractive labour pool: the employment zone of Royan (coming from the partition of the former employment zone of Saintonge maritime, which included many communes of Pays Rochefortais, Pays Marennes-Oleron and Pays Royannais),with 27,753 jobs in 2008.The Employment zone of Royan is, with that ofLa Rochelle,the most dynamic region inPoitou-Charenteswith both enjoying "an economic fabric and a dynamic demography" (INSEE).Growth is particularly strong due to the development of tertiary activities.

307 establishments were identified in the commune byINSEEon 31 December 2015 - mostly very small businesses: 73 with from 1-9 employees and only 14 over 10 employees. The sectors of oyster farming and agriculture remain important in the community, the two of them having 12.8% of employees.Thirty oyster farms are located in Arvert, mostly in the two ports of Coux and Grève à Duret who operate all the production, refining, and shipping of oysters from the Marennes-Oléron basin.

Trades and services are booming as a consequence of the development of the area and the benefits of tourism which does not only concern the coastal communities. The proximity of resorts on theCôte de Beauté(and also Ronce-les-Bains) and a pine forest on the outskirts of the town (Forest of la Coubre) account for a growing increase in tourism which has helped in the establishment of appropriate infrastructure (three campsites, one holiday village) and a tourist office in the city centre. In late 2015, commerce, services (for people and business), and tourism together employed 31.5% of the work force.The construction sector, which is in fourth place, employs 4.3%. Public administration, education, health, and social welfare employ 49.3% of the workforce and Industry, which is only slightly represented in the commune, only employs barely 2.1% of the work force.

The commune has many shops that complement those already present in the neighbouring communes of La Tremblade and Étaules: these three towns form a single entity closely linked at the macro-economic level. The shops are concentrated in the town centre, along the road to La Tremblade but also in the commercial zone of Justices near the ring road. The town centre has a supermarket (Carrefour City) nearby and is surrounded by a small mall with a petrol station, anALDIhard-discount store, two bakeries, a library/newsagent, a driving school, two estate agents, two hardware stores, a fast food outlet, several restaurants, a second-hand shop, a funeral home, a computer store, and two hair salons. At the exit from the town there is aSuper Uhypermarket (2,985 square metres of sales area) which replaced a smaller store. Its construction began in the autumn of 2013 and lasted until the spring of 2014. The mall opened on 24 April 2014. A few hundred yards away, but in the commune of La Tremblade, is anIntermarchésupermarket.

The nearest major shopping area are in the Royannaise Agglomeration (CC Val Lumière and Hyper Intermarché in Vaux-sur-Mer and CC Royan II andE. Leclercin Royan).

Culture and heritage

Sites and Monuments

The Church of Saint Stephen

The church at night

Church interior

Church of Saint-Étienne

Saint-Étienne church has very old foundations and suffered greatly during theFrench Wars of Religion.In 1568 the oldRomanesquechurch was attacked by theHuguenotswhich almost completely destroyed it - as was the church of Saint-Symphorien de Dirée (which was never rebuilt).

The facade retains some architectural elements dating from the 12th century: two beams of seven columns surmounted bycapitalsand somecorbels.All testify to the fantasy and humour deployed by medieval workmen. One of the capitals shows a character vomiting a snake that turns on him and bites his cheek; another shows a man's head, who appears to be a pirate or a Viking looking towards the old Gulf of Arvert.

The present church dates from 1683 (the date is on one of the buttresses in thechoir), making it the oldest in the Canton of La Tremblade. It owes its reconstruction to Father Jean de Lafargue, parish priest from 1672 to 1717. Changes were made to the building in the 19th century: primarily the construction of the bell tower (1845) - a solid stone tower with a slate spire, the increase in the height of the walls, the addition of small chapels (falsetransept), and an enlargement of thechoir(1890). The church, which is very plain, consists of a largenavecovered with a plastered vault lowered and lit by a series of bays which are sometimes ogival and sometimes semicircular where stained glass windows were placed in the taste of the 19th century. In the choir, two windows representSaint StephenandSaint Paul.A stonepulpitis placed near the north chapel. The bell tower features a set of three bells: "Marie-Émilie" (A flat, 450 kg), "Frances, Stephanie, Josephus, Jeanne" (B flat, 310 kg) and "Mary, Martha, Leon, Eustelle" (D, 230 kg). The front of the church has a domed well from the 18th century.

Protestant church

TheReformationwas implanted early in the Arvert peninsula which was open to the sea and consequently to the region and new ideas from maritime hawkers and traders from northern European countries. The Protestant population was large enough for a first church to be built in 1566 along the path connecting Arvert toLes Mathes.It became too small, too outdated, or perhaps simply not corresponding to the needs of worship, it was replaced by a new building in 1609. At times threatened with destruction, it maintained its function by an order of 28 February 1664.

The pressure on the Protestant community become more intense. Pressed to give up their "mistakes", the Protestants were denied their place of worship by an edict of theConseil du Roi(King's council) on 2 March 1682. The building was completely destroyed including the foundations. The materials used to restore the Church of Saint-Étienne. With no building available, worship was then celebrated in private houses or in the open air, until that practice was specifically prohibited by an edict of KingLouis XIVdated 23 March 1683.

In 1685 theEdict of Fontainebleau,which revoked theEdict of Nantes,for more than a century forced Protestants in the region to a semi-clandestine existence and sometimes into exile. In 1755 a prayer house was built in Avallon. It was not until 1834 that the commune acquired a large property, purchased from the heirs ofMartin Descombes:while the commune sold the gardens at auction, the Protestant consistory bought materials to build the new church from the year 1836. It was restored several times - in 1885, 1897, and 1902 (purchase of new furniture) and was subject to a true "makeover" in 1903 (restoration of the roof of the structure, the frames, etc.) and in 2000.Very plain from an architectural perspective, it forms a simple rectangular room lit by arched windows.

Avallon House of prayer

In the second half of the 18th century and under the influence ofEnlightenmentideas and thanks to the tenacity of pastors such as Louis Gibert, a series of prayer houses (churches fitted in barns and private houses) were built aroundRoyan.Persecution against the Protestants, always a reality, dropped in intensity thanks to the protection of theMarquis de Sénecterre,Marshal of France and Governor of Saintonge.

The first house of prayer was built in 1755 atBreuillet:if it was burned by court order, it was immediately rebuilt. In a few weeks, other places of worship appeared. The sale of a plot of land at Avallon (a small port then located a short distance from the town) by Martine Pasdejeu allowed the construction of a first house of prayer and the benefactor was sentenced to detention in the hospice of La Rochelle.The place of prayer was demolished but was rebuilt at the earliest opportunity. It has some importance because in 1781 it housed the Synod of the Churches of Saintonge, Angoumois, and Bordeaux. Due to many maintenance problems, however, it was decided to build a modern temple in 1834.

The Avallon house of prayer Avallon was far from the town centre yet continued to be used and even restored the same year (dedication was made on 20 April 1834). It was sold in 1955 and is now part of a private property. It is one of the few houses of prayer still standing - a testimony to this type of construction in Charente-Maritime with the Maine-Geoffroy Church at Royan and the former house of prayer atLuzac(the one ofPaterreat Chaillevette has unfortunately been completely destroyed).

The Mill at Justices

The Cabouci Mill

At the beginning of the 19th century the commune still had twenty windmills but only four have survived.Le Moulin des Justices(Justices mill), built in the 16th century, is the oldest of them. This mill is named after the place where manorial justice was executed under theAncien Régime.Its sails, which are missing, were built on theBerton systemwhich allowed adjustment to the sails even when the mill was in operation.

Stèle ofGeneral de Gaulle

This stele dates from 1949 and commemorates the arrival of General de Gaulle in Arvert on 22 April 1945 shortly after the Liberation of the Arvert peninsula and the Royan pocket. It took three days of fierce fighting to finally obtain the capitulation of the last German troops entrenched in their bunkers in theForest of la Coubre.

Other sites and monuments

War Memorial and the old school

• Several mills located in the commune: the Cabouci Mill, the Lauriers Mill, the Petit Pont Mill
• A domed well in the church square.
• The port of La Grève à Duret and the port of Coux
• The touristTrain des mouettespasses through the commune
• The lodgings of Fouilloux
• The War memorial

Culture

Cultural facilities

Arvert has a Public Library located opposite the Town Hall (in the premises of the old town hall).

Saintongeais language

Main article:Saintongeais dialect

Map showing the linguistic area of Saintongeais in Charentes and North-Gironde

The commune is located in the linguistic area ofSaintonge,a dialect belonging to the family ofLangues d'oïlbranch of theRomance languages,which also includesFrench,Angevin,Picard,andPoitevinwith which it is often grouped in the broader classification ofPoitevin-Saintongeais.

Saintongeais (saintonjhais) is the vernacular spoken in the former provinces ofAunis,Saintonge,andAngoumois.It is also calledCharentaisorpatois Charentais.Speakers are calledpatoisants.Saintongeais strongly influencedAcadianand therefore, by extension,Cajun.Quebecoiswas influenced by dialects such asNorman,Francien,andSaintongeais.

The Saintongeais language has many features in common with languages such as Cajun or Acadian which is explained by the Saintonge origins of some of the emigrants toNew Francein the 17th century.

Gastronomy

Saintonge gastronomy is mainly focused on three types of products: the products of the land, the sea, and the vine.

Porkpreparations dominate the regional cuisine:

• gratonsorgrillons,kinds ofRillettesbased on fried meats and preserved in their fat,
• gigoritorgigourit,aJuggingcombining blood, throat, liver, and onions, sauce de la pire, onions, and local white wine.

The Saintonge kitchen includes many recipes forcagouilles,the local name of thebrown garden snail.Saintonge meat is especially cooked "à la charentaise" - i.e. cooked in a broth accented with white wine, garlic, and bread crumbs.

Among other local specialties there are thepibales(Eels) (fry of eel caught in theGironde,speciality ofMortagne-sur-GirondeandBlaye), oysters from Marennes-Oléron,sardinesof Royan,thyeusses de gueurnouilles(Frog legs), andsanglette- a cake prepared with chicken blood and cooked onions.

Traditional desserts are from peasant cuisine:Millas(cornflour cake, found in much of the South-West of France),galette charentaise(Charente waffle) in Charentes-Poitou butter, or "merveilles" (doughnuts).

Arvert is located in the wine production area of "ordinary wood".

Bibliography

• Paul Travers, Pastor of Mathes,In Arvert country, historical and folklorical work,1973(in French)
• Henri Moreau,Lords and Domains in Arvert,2008(in French)

See also

• Communes of the Charente-Maritime department

External links

• Arverton the 1750 Cassini Map