Villebois-lavalette city

On the edges of the Charente, at the gateway to the Perigord, Villebois Lavalette is a charming village of character between Angouleme and Brantome.

Perched on a hill and surrounded by a vast, undulating plain, protected by it's imposing medieval castle, a joyful serenity pervades Villebois Lavalette, a gentle, pleasant place .....

The commune of Villebois-Lavalette is creating a heritage tour, inviting visitors to discover the treasures of our village and the surrounding areas.     Each point of interest en route will be marked by a bronze cornuelle, with details written on site or you will be able to follow the tour using the printed version.

Built on the site of a former Roman settlement, the castle was constructed in the 10th century, modified and fortified in the 12th and 13th centuries by the Lusignans.

Established as a Duchy in 1622 by Louis 13th, the castle had to be changed to reflect the Renaissance style by the Duke of Navailles, without losing its' six watch-towers.   Its' 12th century roman chapel is noted for its two levels:  the ground floor reserved for the pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela and the directly approachable seigniorial dwelling.

The sad fire of 1822 devastated the castle which, to this date, remains at the centre of a grand restoration campaign to restore it to it's former glory.

The covered market of Villebois Lavalette was probably built on a 12th century foundation by the same workmen who erected other buildings in 1665, including the major part of the castle.

What is certain is that in 1855, the mayor at that time, moved the part of the market running by the main road, back by one metre to improve traffic flow.   Eleven worm-ridden pillars were removed and replaced with the seven Tuscan stone columns which still exist today.   The same mayor had the stone steps constructed at the foot of the columns, above which an attic section was installed.   On 13 August 1855, the workmen who were clearing the ground to lay the column steps, uncovered a stone place at the base of a pedestal supporting an ancient wooden pillar.   This stone, 60cm long, 54cm wide and 20 cm thick, was engraved with the following inscription:   "1787, Monsieur Dauber-Dauboeuf de Villee, Lord of Blanzaguet".   During this era, Monsieur de Villee was Captain at Villebois castle to which the covered market belonged.   It's he, who from 1784 to 1787, during the reign of Louis 16th, repaired the framework of the dome and replaced the rotten wooden bases with stone pedestals.

On 29 May 1806, during the First Empire, the Prefect of the Charente, according to the law of 30 April 1806, authorised the mayor of the commune of Villebois to borrow 4,000 francs from Sir Deroulede-Dupre, to pay for the covered market and the fair ground owned by Sirs Giboin and Bourrut.   The townhall and the Justice of the Peace were established there for a time.   In 1852, these covered markets were added to the historic buildings register and were classified according to a decree passed on 10 May 1948, after a heated local debate which nearly resulted in their complete destruction!

The roof was totally restored in 1976 and the paving redone some years later.   Today, a wonderful market takes place every Saturday and Wednesday selling fruit, vegetables and local produce.

This alley leads to a collection of buildings which, before the 20th century, contained a hive of industry, bustling with important activities in Villebois Lavalette.   It's here, that at the end of the 19th century, up until 1904 (the date when the new townhall was built next to the fair ground) that one found the Justice of the Peace, the townhall, the girls school and a nursery class.

The townhall's secretarial office was on the first floor.   Access to the office was gained via a stone staircase mounted on the outside wall of the ancient convent (still visable today).    Justice of the Peace hearings took place on the ground floor of the building;  the public gallery still existed in 1960's.   And the school classes took place in the building adjoining the courtyard, opposite the back of the house as it exists today. 

In 1940, at the time of the exodus (when villagers fled before the occupation), the savings bank for the district of Forbach and its various branches, was set up in the hall of the old Justice of the Peace. 

A few metres from the old townhall, stands the imposing seigniorial prison which is probably the oldest building in Villebois Lavalette.   Only a few years ago, it was owned by Frederic Didier, the current chief architect of historic monuments at Versailles.

This spring, situated on the edge of the road which bears its name, was once a public wash-house, now long-since disappeared.  

In the middle of the 19th century, the waters springing from the Font were channelled to feed an underground basin near the covered market, and another channelled to some fire-hydrants situated in different roads around the town centre.

Today, only the one at rue Andre Bouyer remains. The centralisation of water supply for the town as been celebrated many times.

On 26 May 1850, to signal the arrival of the waters

Again on 22 September 1850, at the blessing of the fire-hydrants

And culminating on 15 August 1851, during the festival of Napoleon III, when the Font Trouvee was formally unveilled.   On that day bread and wine was given out at the end of Mass followed by dances and illuminations throughout the village.

A visit to Villebois merits a detour up on to the hill of Puy-Sanseau. It rises up to 194 m and is crossed by the famous path taken by the young King Louis XIII.

On 28 December 1615, the newly-wed young King was on his way from Bordeaux to visit the Duke of Epernon, following his marriage to Anne of Austria on 24 November 1615, on the Island of Pheasants, at the mouth of the river Bidesoa.

The governor of Angouleme, Jean-Louis Nogaret de Lavalette, Duke of Epernon assembled more than 5,000 men to protect and receive the King in his castle in Villebois.

The Duke of Epernon lived under the reigns of Henry III, who made him his minion;  then under Henry IV, when he was suspected of collusion in the murder committed by Ravaillac - and finally, he was a contemporary of Louis XIII, even helping to reconcile the King with his mother Mary Medicis. 

This "demi-king" lived for 88 years when he finally gave up the ghost on 13 January 1642, at Loches castle in Indre et Loire.   His heart was placed in a funeral urn in Angouleme's cathedral.

It was therefore only right that this "royal way" took the name of that august sovereign.   Nowadays, the visitor who makes his way to this place can not fail to be dazzled by the panoramic beauty of the view before him.

It is with the product of the sale of its pieces of furniture and its economies that the Vacher priest, coming from Rouillac, made gift by will with the commune of Villebois-Lavalette, on March 31, 1864, of a sum of 30.000 francs intended for the enlarging or the rebuilding of the church Saint-Romain de Lavalette for load for the commune of make there celebrate a funeral service every year at the birthday day of his death.

At that time the elected officials were confronted with four possible solutions:

• Restoration on the hillock
• Construction opposite the presbytery
• Construction in the place of the convent of Augustins
• Construction street of Rampeaux

After thirty years of palaver between the Labrosse father, priest of the time, the bishop of Angouleme and the municipality, the Warin architect was authorized in 1894 to undertake the rebuilding on the site where the old church damaged by the earthquakes of 1783 and 1784 rose. Finally the will of the Vacher father was respected since in a first will of 1855 it was stipulated: “Construction of a new bell-tower, enlarging of the church”. It rests in the left vault under the plate pointing out the restoration and the names of the various actors.

At the time when work was undertaken, the funds of the succession of the benefactor rose with 55.000 francs, taking into account the placement with 3% in revenue of the State.

In the thirty five meters high bell-tower, one of the four bells comes from the old abbey of Peyrat. If this church is not classified, it deserves the turning however, would be this only to be pleased to admire of its gate, the splendid panorama that the faithful ones where visitors discover after having climbed the seventy-seven steps distributed on three stages, which made say to a prelate of the time to go up high was true for it “keep silent cleaned”.