Towns of Art and History

Affiliated to the network since 1987, Rochefort, the chequered town, takes you on a voyage. Between land and sea – it can be accessed from the Charente - Rochefort was chosen by Colbert to host the largest maritime arsenal of the Kingdom. The splendid Corderie Royale (Royal Rope Makers), entirely renovated, affirms this rich past. The art and history museum, in the former Hébre de Saint-Clément hotel, holds the memory of the town and its privileged relations overseas. The House of Pierre Loti, the writer and naval officer, is an invitation to the exotic and the fantastic. The Musée des Commerce d’autrefois (Trade Museum of Times Gone By), housed in a building from the 1900's, brings to life the city's rich tradition of exchange.

The town of Saintes offers a first-rate educative terrain, through the richness and variety of its heritage that covers 2,000 years. The Roman fiefdom of ‘Medionalum Santonum’ has magnificent arenas, a triumphal arch, an aqueduct and hot springs. The archaeology museum, on the banks of the Charente, catalogues and explains this first chapter of local history. The presence of Roman churches - Abbaye-aux-Dames, church of Saint-Eutrope, cathedral of Saint-Pierre and the chapel of Les Jacobins - confirms the important role of the city in the expansion of Christianity. The many Classical style hotels and private residences are also hints to the development of the town in the 17th and 18th centuries. Contemporary urbanism is also present with the stud farm and the station.