Chauvigny, Vienne

Description:

Geography and Transport Links

Chauvigny is a town situated on the central and eastern side of Poitiers, at an altitude of 61m to 149m.  The town sits on the Vienne River, and the commune covers an area of 95.82km².  The N151 gives access to the capital Poitiers (25km) to the west, and the A10 motorway.  The D749 gives access north to Chatellerault.  Chauvigny has no rail link, but is connected to the regional TER rail network by a shuttle bus.  The nearest commercial airport is Poitiers Biard (34km), and both Limoges and Tours airports offer an alternative at 108km, with year-round flights to the UK.
See also:  Poitiers, Saint Savin

Climate

Climate here is temperate with clearly defined seasons.  Average summer temperatures are between 23C to 26C (11C-13C night), and in winter this drops to 8C to 9C (2C to 3C night).  The wettest month is October with an average of 54mm, and the driest is March with just 26mm.  Chauvigny is within an area that receives over 2000 hours of sunshine per year.

Tourism

Chauvigny is characterised by its 5 ancient castles situated on the highest point of the town in the old quarter.  All of these structures are ruins, dating back to the 11^th to 15^th centuries.  Probably the most well known tourist attraction is Giants of the Sky, an aviary which puts on daily shows of falconry in peak season, set to music.  The medieval town also hosts a traditional glass-blower.  For those with an interest in archaeology and history both the Espace d'archaeologique Industrielle, and the Musee des Traditions Populaires et Archaeologie will appeal.  The first is sited in the dungeon of the Gouzon castle in the medieval centre, and the latter is in a 17^th century house.  Surviving architecture includes the St Pierre l'Eglises church, a couple of kilometres away, sited in an ancient cemetery, and the 12^th century Collegiale St Pierre Church.   Nearby is the Jardin des Rosiers a la Puye, an English botanical garden with 350 types of roses on a 1.5ha site.  Another beautiful garden is at the Chateau deTouffou at nearby Bonnes.  Chauvigny offers Les Randocaleches de Marie, with tours of the town in a horse-drawn carriage.  An alternative means of transport is the Velo-Rail, where you can hire bicycle-type equipment that runs on an old disused track.  The 17km round trip takes about 2 hours.  Chauvigny is the only town in Poitou Charentes on the list of Plus Beaux Detours de France, a guide developed in association with Michelin experts.

Events include the Coup d'Europe Espoirs de Montgolfiers held in August, with the best young international pilots competing over a week of events.  March sees the Coupe Nationale de Karate, with 150 competitors taking part, and October brings L'Open National de Billiards (Anglais), a pool competition on 32 tables over 3 days. 

Facilities

Chauvigny has many sports and leisure facilities and associations.  These include the Centre d'Animation Populaire, with over 30 activities on offer, 3 stadiums, a number of large sports halls, tennis facilities, and Piscine Intercommunal (a large swimming complex with movable roof).  The town also boasts a Moto-Cross track (Jacky Grenier), and an aerodrome. 

The town has a food market every Tues and Thurs, and a large fair on the 2^nd Tuesday of every month.  Every Saturday morning 120 stalls offer a wider range of goods.

Economy

Chauvigny is part of the Montmorillon economic zone, which has an unemployment rate of 6.7%, compared against the regional rate of 8.6% and the national rate of 9.1% (INSEE 2006).  The town has traditionally relied on porcelain and pottery (19^th century), but the fabric of the economy is now dominated by agriculture (corn, barley, colza, sunflower).  Important companies here include Apilco-Deshoulieres (porcelain manufacturers), and Rocamat (stone extraction).  The economy (and population) has been boosted since the introduction of the nearby Nuclear Power Plant at Civaux (16km upstream) in 1997, which employs around 700 people.

Education

There is a choice of 5 state Nurseries (plus 1 Private), 5 Primary schools (plus 1 Private), 1 state High school (College), for College (Lycee) the nearest is Poitiers (25km).   Chauvigny also has a large music school.

Key Stats

90.5% of properties here are classed as primary residences, with 3.5% classed as second homes.  There are more females than males resident here (51.3% vs 48.7%). There are more people aged 60 or over than the national average (28.2% vs 21.3%), and there are more retired people here also (24.5% vs 18.2%).  22.2% of the population are below the age of 19.

Key Facilities and Services: