Romagne, Vienne

Description:

Geography and Transport

Romagne is a small village situated towards the south west of the Vienne department, near to the border with Deux Sevres.  The commune is at an altitude of 103m to 150m, and has an area of 40.84km².  There are no major roads in the immediate proximity, although the N10 (Poitiers - Angouleme) passes by to the west.  The nearest rail link is at Epanvilliers 8km away, for access to the TER regional services.  The nearest commercial airport is at Poitiers Biard (50km), which has year round services to the UK (reduced in winter).
See also:  Gencay, Civray

Climate

Climate here is maritime, and therefore temperate with clearly defined seasons.  Average Summer temperatures are between 23C to 26C (11C-13C low), and in Winter this drops to 8C to 9C (2C to 3C low).  Wettest month is October with an average of 54mm, and driest is March with around 26mm.  Romagne is within an area that receives over 2000 hours of sunshine per year.

Tourism

Romagne is best known as the home of La Vallee des Singes, a 15ha monkey park with over 350 primates, 30 species in a park setting.  Visitors have direct contact with the animals, and there are other attractions on site such as a children's play area and mini-farm.  The park is open from March to November.  Romagne also has a teaching farm and equestrian centre at the Ferme du Vignaud, which is part of the association ‘Roulotte et Nature'.

Facilities

The village has basic shopping facilities, as well as a restaurant and two cafes.  The nearest supermarket  is at Couche (11km), and the nearest swimming pool is also located there.  The nearest cinema is at Civray (15km).

Economy

Romagne is part of the Poitiers economic zone which has an unemployment rate of 7.9%, compared against the regional rate of 8.6% and the national rate of 9.1% (INSEE 2006).

Education

State nursery and primary school is available at Brux (10km), and at nearby Couche (12km) are both state and private secondary schools.  The village however does have a private college (Lycee).

Key Stats

73.9% of properties here are classed as primary residences, with 18.8% classed as second homes.  There are more females as males resident here (51.9% vs 48.1%). There are more people aged 60 or over than the national average (26.8% vs 21.3%), and there are also more retired people here (31.8% vs 18.2%).  18.7% of the population are below the age of 19.

Key Facilities and Services: