Living with gods

Around the Gallo-Roman sanctuary of the Gué-de-Sciaux

The medieval city

The lordship of Chauvigny became affiliated to the cathedral of Poitiers during the 11th century. In this way, all the bishops named in Poitiers took the title of Lord of Chauvigny. The first known was Isembert, at around 1020; he possessed a family castle in Chauvigny. In 1025, Isembert's charter described the city of Chauvigny and announced the future realizations: the digging of the Talbat, the church of Saint-Just priory, and the water-mill.

The medieval city of Chauvigny has a unique specificity: it possesses five castles, and they all coexisted. There is not any other example in Europe of a so big concentration of castles in a so small area. This specificity can be explained by the seigneury of Chauvigny. The bishops of Poitiers were also lords, so they got prerogatives due to their function; they could do justice and receive taxes. Nevertheless, their religious character forbade them to possess military functions or a personal army. Thus, to defend themselves, they permitted to other lords, some of their families, to set up near their castle, to protect the city.

The city of Chauvigny was divided into two distinctive parts: the Upper Town, on the rocky spur, was the place of the civil and religious powers. The Lower Town, built in the surroundings, gathered the population and the places of industry, trade and artisans.