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Les Châteaux

in the loudunais region

Marked by an exceptional architectural heritage, from medieval fortresses to 19th^{century manor houses, the Loudunais region boasts numerous Renaissance buildings and châteaux, reminding us of its proximity to the Loire Valley. Today, no fewer than 13 châteaux adorn the Trois-Moutiers area.}

Moncontour’s keep and Loudun’s Tour Carrée bear witness to the passage of the Count of Anjou in the XI^thcentury, and the many castles erected or modified in the XIV^thor XV^thcenturies take us back to the times when the Loudunais region was a strategic place in conflicts, notably between the English and the French during the Hundred Years’ War. Discover the history of the castles that welcome you for a visit.

Les Moulins

in the loudunais region

L'Acadie

in loudunais

On June 29, 1984, at the initiative of René Monory, the association La Maison de l’Acadie inaugurated a place of remembrance in La Chaussée thanks to the involvement of Madame Michèle Touret. Today, the mission of La Maison de l’Acadie is to preserve and transmit the history of the Acadian people, enhance the value of the Loudunais territory and offer a place for reunion and sharing perpetuating the ties that unite the two territories.

1604: At the instigation of Henri IV, Samuel de Champlain, Pierre Dugas de Mons set up engagés in Acadia. Due to the difficulties encountered, this initiative was shelved.

1632: During the reign of Louis XIII, Richelieu commissioned his cousin Isaac de Razilly, born at Les Eaux-Melles in Roiffé, and Charles de Menou, seigneur of Aulnay near Loudun, to establish a colony in Acadia. They are accompanied by “300 elite men” according to La Gazette de Théophraste Renaudot, the King’s gazetier, also from Loudun. Several local families would make the great voyage to Acadia, a few years later, Martin Le Godelier, seigneur du Bourg, de La Chaussée left with his son and a servant. He died a few months later in 1642.

1713: The Treaty of Utrecht – Coveted by the English for decades, Acadia was definitively lost to France in 1713. Under English rule, the Acadians were tolerated.

1755: the “Grand Dérangement”: Faced with the Acadians’ stubborn refusal to swear allegiance to the English crown, their lands and possessions were seized and given to English settlers. Then came the mass deportation: the Acadians were hunted down and killed, and the English forcibly loaded several thousand survivors onto their ships. Family members were separated and sent to the English colonies in North America. The dispersal lasted around 10 years, and some families, imprisoned in England, returned to France free. Two Acadian settlements still exist in France: Belle-Île-en-Mer and Archigny.

Ethno-museum

in loudunais

The Anako Foundation works to contribute to and safeguard the audiovisual memories of the last indigenous peoples and cultures. It supports field programs that enable these communities to reappropriate their image and learn to use audiovisual tools.

The ethno-museum, with permanent and temporary exhibitions, a video library, library, documentation center and projection rooms, is housed in the medieval grant of the Château de Verrière.

The Anako Foundation’s mission is to contribute to and safeguard the audiovisual memories of the last indigenous peoples and cultures.