Saintes (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: Sénte) is a commune and historic town in western France, in the Charente-Maritime department of which it is a sub-prefecture, in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Saintes is the second-largest city in Charente-Maritime, with inhabitants in 2021. The city's immediate surroundings form the second-most populous metropolitan area in the department, with inhabitants. While a majority of the surrounding landscape consists of fertile, productive fields, a significant minority of the region remains forested, its natural state.

In Roman times, Saintes was known as Mediolanum Santonum. During much of its history, the name of the city was spelled Xaintes or Xainctes.

Primarily built on the left bank of the Charente, Saintes became the first Roman capital of Aquitaine. Later it was designated as the capital of the province of Saintonge under the Ancien Régime. Following the French Revolution, it briefly became the prefecture of the department (then called Charente-Inférieure) during the territorial reorganization of 1790, until La Rochelle was designated and superseded it in 1810. Although it had the status only of a subprefecture, Saintes was allowed to remain the judicial centre of the department. In the late 19th century, Saintes was chosen as the seat of the VIIIth arrondissement of the Chemins de Fer de l'État, railways, which enabled an era of economic and demographic growth.

Today, Saintes remains the economic heart of the centre of the department, and it is an important transport hub. A few major industrial businesses operate (in electronics, rail repair, construction of hoists). The city's commerce and service sector is large, featuring the headquarters of Co-op Atlantique, and administrative functions of state, courts, and legal services; banks, schools, and a hospital. Beyond this, property maintenance, retail, and tourism sectors provide large numbers of jobs.

Because of its noteworthy Gallo-Roman, medieval and classical heritage, Saintes is a tourist destination. It has been a member of the French Towns and Lands of Art and History since 1990. It has several museums, a theater, cinemas, and organizes numerous festivals. A European centre of musical research and practice is based in its Abbaye aux Dames.

Geography

Location

thumb|Arch of Germanicus and the [[Charente (river)|Charente]]

Saintes is on the banks of the river Charente, in the center-eastern part of the department. The city is based 60 km southeast of La Rochelle, 33 kilometers northeast of Royan,

Nearer to the river, the Cretaceous plateau gives way to more or less recent alluvial grasslands composed of bri, a type of clay.

The uplifting of Alps and Pyrenees began during the Maastrichtian, 65 Ma ago, and continued for a part of the Paleogene.

Districts

thumb|Courthouse, district Saint-Vivien

The town is divided into 14 administrative areas: Les Boiffiers, Les Tourneurs, L'Ormeau de Pied, Recouvrance, La Fenêtre, Saint-Rémy, Saint-Vivien, Saint-Eutrope, Saint-Pierre, Saint-Pallais, Saint-Sébastien de Bouard, La Récluse, Le Maine-Saint-Sorlin and Bellevue.

Left bank (Rive gauche)

thumb|The Post Office on the left bank

thumb|The [[Hôtel de Ville, Saintes|Hôtel de Ville on the left bank, district Saint-Pierre]]

The neighbourhood of Saint-Pierre lies between the hill of the Capitole and the river Charente. It possesses a significant number of historic monuments justifying its forming the core of a conservation area that spans over . Built around the cathedral Saint-Pierre, the place du marché and the place du Synode, it is crossed by pedestrian alleys around which can be found numerous medieval, renaissance and classic buildings.

The cours Reverseaux and cours des Apôtres de la liberté separate Saint-Eutrope (and its hill) in the west from the faubourg Berthonnière. These partly separate the hill of the Capitole to the north. Once outside the walls, the faubourg included some hostelries and inns for pilgrims. The square Goulebenéze stands between the place Blair and the river.

The neighbourhoods of les Boiffiers and Bellevue are separated from the rest of the city by the avenue de Saintonge; they consist mainly of low-rent housing (HLM) and suburban housing, standing on a plateau bounded by the Charente. Bellevue has inhabitants and spans ; it is listed as a zone urbaine sensible (ZUS).

La Recouvrance, in a triangle formed by the cours du maréchal Leclerc, the cours Genet and the rocade ouest (bypass), contains a lycée, the former seminary, the Yvon Chevalier stadium and a shopping mall. The water tower of Recouvrance is decorated with frescoes by contemporary artist Michel Genty.

In the north of the urban area, the Saint-Vivien neighbourhood has an old faubourg (exurb) which has been inhabited since antiquity. Here, the thermes de Saint-Saloine, ancient Roman baths, are found.

The importance of this railway network is explained by the designation of Saintes as the seat of the Compagnie des chemins de fer des Charentes in 1867, then as the regional seat of the VIIIth arrondissement of the Chemins de fer de l'État from 1911 to 1971. The SNCF is still a major employer in the city, and new depots and workshops were opened in 2009 and 2010.

Population

Its inhabitants are called Saintaises and Saintais in French.

Landmarks

thumb|Cathédrale Saint Pierre

thumb|The Roman amphitheater

thumb|Museum

  • The Arch of Germanicus, a triumphal arch, was built at the entrance to a bridge, where the main Roman road crossed the Charente. The bridge was demolished in 1843 but the Arch was saved by Prosper Mérimée and rebuilt at its present location on the bank of the river.
  • Ruins of the Roman amphitheatre on the main, left bank of the Charente, near the summit of the hill upon which the town was built. Its notable tiers (cavea) are built against the hill and an embankment.
  • Some remnants of the thermae of Saint-Saloine (1st century) are also visible, in particular an aqueduct.
  • Fragments of the third century rampart (to the city walls) can be seen in the Place des Récollets. It was built with stones taken from the Roman buildings.
  • Ecclesiastical
  • The Abbaye-aux-Dames. Madame de Montespan was educated here.
  • Other churches: the Basilique Saint-Eutrope (Basilica of Saint Eutropius) and the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre, Saintes Cathedral: [http://www.bernezac.com/Saintes_StPierre_clocher_02.jpg] Basilique Saint-Eutrope: [http://www.bernezac.com/Sainte_Eutrope_arenes_05.jpg],[http://www.bernezac.com/Saintes_Eutrope_clocher_02.jpg]
  • Museums
  • the Musée archéologique, which has a restored Roman cart/wagon of the first century amongst a collection of sculptures and inscriptions.
  • the Musée du Présidial, which has a mannerist architecture and a collection of regional ceramics and paintings of the 15th to 18th century.
  • the Musée de l'Échevinage, which exhibits porcelain of Sèvres and paintings of the 19th and 20th century
  • the Hôtel de Ville, which is the meeting place of the town council and dates from around 1874.

Hospital

thumb|Hospital of Saintes

The hospital of Saintes is the most important hospital centre of the department of Charente-Maritime.

Education

thumb|High School Bernard Palissy

Saintes is in the catchment of and under the auspices of the académie de Poitiers.

{| class="toccolours" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="10" style="margin:auto;font-size:90%;"

|+List of schools :

|-style="vertical-align:top;"

|

;Public kindergartens and elementary schools

  • École Le Cormier
  • École Roger Pérat
  • École Saint-Pallais
  • École Saint-Eutrope
  • École Les Jacobins
  • École Saint-Exupéry
  • École Émile Combes
  • École Jean Jaurès
  • École Jules Ferry
  • École Louis Pasteur
  • École Eugène Pelletan
  • École Paul Bert
  • École Nicolas Lemercier
  • École Léo Lagrange

;Private elementary schools

  • École Marie-Eustelle
  • École Jeanne d'Arc-Notre-Dame

|

;Public collèges

  • Collège Edgar Quinet
  • Collège Agrippa d'Aubigné
  • Collège René Caillé

;Collège privé

  • Collège Jeanne d'Arc-Notre-Dame

;Public lycées of general education

  • Lycée Bernard Palissy
  • Lycée polyvalent régional Bellevue

;Private lycée of general education

:* Lycée Notre-Dame-de-Recouvrance

|

;Public professional lycées

:* Établissement régional d'enseignement adapté

:* Lycée agricole Georges Desclaude

:* Lycée professionnel horticole Chadignac

;Private professional lycée

:* Lycée technique Claire Champagne

;Military school

:* École d'enseignement technique de l'armée de l'air (EETAA)

;Business School

:* Centre de Formation d'Apprentis en commerce (CFA Chamber of Commerce)

;Higher education

:* Institut de formation en soins infirmiers (IFSI)

:* Institut de formation des aides-soignants (IFAS)

:* Centre d'étude d'architecture et d'urbanisme (CEAU)

|}

  • Two U.S. universities conduct year round study abroad programs at the C.E.A.U., the University of Houston's Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture, and the University of Southern California.

Local TV channels

thumb|France 3 Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Saintes is served by France 3 Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

Twin towns – sister cities

Saintes is twinned with:

  • Nivelles, Belgium
  • Xanten, Germany
  • Timbuktu, Mali
  • Vladimir, Russia
  • Salisbury, England
  • Cuevas del Almanzora, Spain

See also

  • Saintongeais language
  • Communes of the Charente-Maritime department
  • Roman Road from Saintes to Périgueux

Notes

References

Bibliography

  • André Baudrit, <cite>Saintes au XVIth siècle</cite>, (Thèse de Doctorat, Bordeaux 1957), 745 pages.
  • Jean Combes, Gilles Bernard, <cite>Histoire du Poitou et des Pays Charentais</cite>, Éditions de Borée, 2001
  • Robert Favreau, Régis Rech et Yves-Jean Riou (directeurs) <cite>Bonnes villes du Poitou et des Pays Charentais (XIIth–XVIIIth siècles)</cite>, Actes du colloque tenu à Saint-Jean-d’Angély les 24-25 septembre 1999, Société des antiquaires de l'Ouest in Mémoires de la Société des antiquaires de l'Ouest et des Musées de Poitiers, fifth série, tome VIII (2002), à Poitiers.
  • Michel Garnier, Christian Gensbeit, <cite>À la découverte de Saintes</cite>, Patrimoines Médias, 2000,
  • Daniel Massiou, Histoire politique, civile et religieuse de la Saintonge et de l'Aunis, A.Charrier, libraire-éditeur, Saintes, 1846.
  • Alain Michaud (sous la direction de), <cite>Histoire de Saintes</cite>, Privat, 1989,
  • Pierre Rayssiguier (ouvrage collectif sous la direction de), <cite>Saintes, plus de ans d'histoire illustrée</cite>, Société d'archéologie et d'histoire de la Charente-Maritime, Saintes, 2001
  • Henri Texier, <cite>Petite histoire de Saintes</cite>, Geste édition, 2003
  • Le patrimoine des communes de la Charente-Maritime, éditions Flohic, collection Le patrimoine des communes de France, 2002.
  • Saintes History: Urban Development
  • Town council site
  • Tourism office site
  • Pictures of the Abbaye aux Dames
  • Pictures of Saint-Eutrope church: [http://romanes.com/St_Eutrope_Eglise_Basse/] and [http://romanes.com/St_Eutrope_Eglise_Haute/]