Attractions and Places To See around Salignac-Sur-Charente - Top 18

The site of La Baine, in Chaniers, predates the current mill. 14th century: the first attested mills A document dated 1310 mentions cloth mills at La Baine. They were built on piles driven into the riverbed and were used, among other things, for fulling fabrics. These mills then belonged to the dean and chapter of the cathedral of Saintes. They had been destroyed a few years earlier by the Count of la Marche. In 1313, the chapter obtained authorization to rebuild two mills, a weir, and a fishery. 17th century: Colbert's royal mill It was in the 17th century that La Baine gained considerable importance. A complex of five wheat mills was rebuilt on a secondary branch of the Charente, which was not used for navigation. Around 1630, the mills belonged to the brothers Charles and Jacques Duval, who held the beneficial ownership, while the lordship of Chaniers was under the chapter of the Saint-Pierre de Saintes cathedral. Then came Jean-Baptiste Colbert, minister to Louis XIV and Secretary of State for the Navy. Around 1670, Colbert had the mill redeveloped and enlarged to considerably increase its production capacity. The new complex had seven water passages and thus became one of the most powerful mills in the region. Why was Colbert interested in La Baine? The reason was directly linked to the creation and development of the Rochefort arsenal. The mill primarily produced wheat and barley flour intended for the sustenance of the Royal Navy sailors. The grains arrived via the Charente aboard gabares (flat-bottomed barges). After delivering their cargo to the mill, the gabares departed with the flour destined, among other places, for Rochefort. The mill of La Baine was therefore part of a true royal industrial and logistical system organized around the Charente and Rochefort. 19th century: gradual transformation In the 19th century, milling activity continued. The old mills gradually became a true industrial establishment. In 1845, the site was operated by five different millers. From 1897, the complex was gradually brought together by Mr. Lardy, who modernized the facilities and introduced machinery. His son Rémy Lardy succeeded him. 20th century: the flour mill In the 1930s, the mill had become a true industrial flour mill. Its capacity reached about 50 quintals of wheat per day. In 1936, the hydraulic power was supplied by several wheels about 5 meters in diameter. The total water intake was about 4 meters, with a head of 1.50 meters. The facilities included, among other things: two double grinders; a double converter; a pair of millstones; a plansichter; five purifiers. Milling activity finally ceased in the mid-20th century, with sources placing the end of industrial activity around the years 1940-1960, depending on whether one refers to the flour mill or the complete disappearance of milling activity. Today The building has been preserved and transformed into a restaurant, while retaining remarkable elements of its industrial past, notably the wheel and part of the old machinery. The Moulin de la Baine is now located at 14 rue Colbert, 17610 Chaniers, directly above the Charente. A particularly interesting point The mill, the dam, and the locks form an inseparable historical ensemble. The current dam has, however, undergone modern transformations: a prefectural decree from 2012 classifies the hydraulic structure of the Moulin de La Baine as a Class D dam, among other things.

Magnificent We can also have a picnic

A must-see visit alongside this abbey on a magnificent circuit

This imposing holm oak is approximately 500 years old. We do not know if it was planted on the occasion of the birth of the future king of France François I in 1494, on the occasion of his coronation in 1515 or on the occasion of his death in 1547. What we do know, however, is that it measures 17 meters high with a trunk circumference of 5.5 meters. Classified as a “remarkable tree”, it was even elected “tree of the year” in 2014 by the National Forestry Office.

A particularity is located in the gallery of arcature which overhangs the portal. Indeed it has three arched windows on one side of the central window and two semicircular on the other. Note that the two bays on the right occupy the same width as the three on the left. The bell tower, like many others in the region, has a pyramidal roof. Simple columns come to partition the two windows which cover each face. Inside the church, archival documents prove that the nave with two bays was originally vaulted with warheads. Unfortunately, this vault was destroyed during religious wars. Still according to archival documents, it would seem that at the beginning of the 20th century, a narthex, where the catechumens were held, leaned on its facade. Today, it has completely disappeared. The church was classified as a historic monument in 1913. The building underwent a complete restoration in 1935. To admire just next to the church a magnificent and majestic period residence.

Towards the end of the 12th century, an abbey church was built. At the beginning of the 13th century, attached to the west of the first Romanesque abbey, a Gothic-style cloister was gradually built. The abbey reached its peak from this period: in addition to its priories (la Grainetière in Vendée and la Tenaille near Pons), it owned land within a radius of 100 km, including saltworks on the coast. In the 15th century, Fontdouce obtained the title of royal abbey leading to a profound change in its mode of administration: the abbot was no longer elected by his peers within the community but was appointed by the king. It is often a great layman to whom the king grants the commendation, that is to say 80% of the income of the abbey. Then, the wars of religion, in the 16th century, accelerated its decline. The abbey church is ransacked: it will never be rebuilt. The years following the French Revolution also brought their share of destruction: several buildings, including the refectory, disappeared. The last monks were driven out in 1793 and the following year the site was sold as National Property to serve as agricultural property. The farmer who bought the place then built, on the remains of the conventual buildings, a house in the First Empire style. In the 1820s, Fontdouce entered the family of the current owners who, on December 16, 1986, had the Gothic parts, chapter house and parlor classified as historical monuments2. From 1970, the current owners undertook a series of excavations intended for the restoration of the Abbey of Fontdouce. They are gradually bringing the beautiful chapter house and the Gothic parlor back to life, the two superimposed Romanesque chapels and several other remains. These restoration works earned them third prize in the masterpiece in danger competition in 1979. In 1986, the site was entirely classified as a Historic Monument1. Today, Fontdouce remains a private property, focused on tourist and cultural activities, supported in its development actions by a team of enthusiasts grouped together within the Association Guillaume de Conchamp.

Construction of the second half of the 19th century, the castle of Gademoulin stands proudly in the town of Gensac-la-Pallue. Neo-Gothic in style, it takes place on the remains of an old medieval castle destroyed in the 16th century during the protests against the salt tax. Sold as national property under the French Revolution, it now houses a luxury accommodation space.

It was in the 12th century that the church of Saint Césaire was built. It is a Saintonge Romanesque style church.