Archiac

Archiac is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern France.

Archiac
Commune
Archiac Town Centre
Coat of arms
Location of Archiac
Archiac
Archiac
Coordinates: 45°31′21″N 0°18′20″W
CountryFrance
RegionNouvelle-Aquitaine
DepartmentCharente-Maritime
ArrondissementJonzac
CantonJonzac
IntercommunalityHaute-Saintonge
Government
 • Mayor (2014–2020) Didier Braud
Area
1
4.48 km2 (1.73 sq mi)
Population
 (2017-01-01)[1]
772
 • Density170/km2 (450/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
17016 /17520
Elevation48–116 m (157–381 ft)
(avg. 111 m or 364 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Archiacais or Archiacaises.[2]

Geography

Archiac is located in the south of the department of Charente Maritime in the historic region of Saintonge some 20 km south of Cognac, 15 km north-west of Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire and 15 km north-east of Jonzac. The village has the status of a town and is located at the intersection of two main highways: the D699 from Arthenac in the south-west to Ambleville in the north-east; and the D731 from Cierzac in the north-west which continues south-east from the village. The north-eastern border of the commune is also the border between Charente-Maritime and Charente departments. Other access roads include the D149 which is a short-cut connection between the D699 and the D733 west of the village and the D152 which goes south from the village to Saint-Maigrin. There are also the hamlets of La Grue and Saint-Pierre north-east of the village. Apart from some wooded areas near the village the commune is entirely farmland.[3]

Neighbouring communes and villages

[3]

History
Remains of the castle
  • In the reign of Charlemagne Archiac was the seat of a viguerie.
  • Upon the removal of Emma, the wife of the lord of Cognac, by the lord of Barbezieux in the 11th century, the Lord of Archiac gave them asylum: the castle was attacked, taken, and burnt.[4]
  • In 1219 the Lord of Archiac was Guillaume d'Archiac. During the Hundred Years War the castle was taken and retaken then became a den of Anglo-Gascon thieves before being taken and demolished.
  • In 1609 the Barony of Archiac was raised to a marquisate.
  • It was forbidden for the Protestant ministers Jacques Fountaines and Jean Hoummeau to preach and the temple was demolished in 1673.[4]

Heraldry
Arms of Archiac
 Blazon:

Gules, two pales vairé, in chief Or.

Administration

List of successive mayors[5]

FromToNamePartyPosition
19891995Jacques Dusaud
19952008François RobinDVD
20082014Carole Blanchard
20142020Didier Braud

(Not all data is known)

Demography

In 2017 the commune had 772 inhabitants. Arthenac was part of the Archiac commune until they were separated in 1831;[6] the population data given in the table and graph below for 1821 and earlier include the commune of Arthenac.

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1793 1,427—    
1800 1,533+1.03%
1806 1,558+0.27%
1821 1,691+0.55%
1831 925−5.85%
1836 965+0.85%
1841 1,002+0.76%
1846 1,066+1.25%
1851 1,124+1.07%
1856 1,148+0.42%
1861 1,263+1.93%
1866 1,227−0.58%
1872 1,172−0.76%
1876 1,178+0.13%
1881 1,110−1.18%
1886 1,097−0.24%
1891 974−2.35%
1896 927−0.98%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1901 855−1.60%
1906 874+0.44%
1911 802−1.70%
1921 728−0.96%
1926 805+2.03%
1931 793−0.30%
1936 779−0.36%
1946 750−0.38%
1954 737−0.22%
1962 813+1.23%
1968 856+0.86%
1975 890+0.56%
1982 868−0.36%
1990 837−0.45%
1999 864+0.35%
2007 814−0.74%
2012 797−0.42%
2017 772−0.64%
Source: EHESS[6] and INSEE[7]

Distribution of age groups

The population of the town is older than the departmental average.

Percentage distribution of age groups in Archiac and Charente-Maritime Department in 2017

ArchiacCharente-Maritime
Age RangeMenWomenMenWomen
0 to 14 Years17.014.016.314.3
15 to 29 Years12.812.315.413.1
30 to 44 Years16.412.816.716.1
45 to 59 Years19.218.020.219.9
60 to 74 Years21.720.821.122.0
75 to 89 Years11.015.69.412.3
90 Years+1.86.61.02.4

Source: INSEE[8][9]

Sites and monuments
General view of the church of Saint-Pierre
  • The Parish Church of Saint-Pierre has a fragment of a statue from the Middle Ages depicting a mitred head which is registered as an historical object.[10]
  • A dolmen near Lavaure
  • A chateau from the 9th century, repaired in the 11th century but now disappeared. It included the chapels of Our Lady and Saint-Martin.
  • The House of the Vine and Fragrances[11]

Notable people linked to the commune
  • Cardinal Simon d'Archiac (14th century), born in Archiac

See also

References
  1. "Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  2. Inhabitants of Charente-Maritime (in French)
  3. Google Maps
  4. History of Cognac, Jarnac and Segonzac, Father Cousin, 1882, reprinted 2007, ISBN 2-84618-496-8 (in French)
  5. List of Mayors of France
  6. Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Archiac, EHESS. (in French)
  7. Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  8. Évolution et structure de la population en 2017: Commune d'Archiac (17016)
  9. Évolution et structure de la population en 2017: Département de la Charente-Maritime (17)
  10. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM17000628 Statue: Head (in French)
  11. The House of the Vine and Fragrances website Archived 2014-04-07 at the Wayback Machine (in French)
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