Talmont sur Gironde

Talmont in November

On the orders of Edouard I of England
( who was nicknamed " Longshanks"due to his great height and stature) the enclosed and fortified village of Talmont was founded around the church in 1284. The name of Talmont might refer to a celtic word " Tal" which means "high" and "mon" a Latin word meaning " the bend of a river". Talmont is also referred to Talamundus, Talamone, and Talamo in some historical documents. The fortified village was built according to the plans of the ancient bastides. Bastides were fortified new towns built in medieval languedoc, Gascony and Aquitaine during the 13th and 14th centuries in order to colonize the wilderness especially in the south west.
During the "high middle ages" ( 500-987) Talmont called Talamo was a military post and then the estate of a seigneur. Talmont ended up in the Spaniards' hands who abandonned the place by pulling all the fortifications down. it was a complete disaster for Talmont.
Today there are about 83 inhabitants in the village of Talmont which is a main tourist attraction in the area especially in the summer holidays. A huge car park welcome crowds of people in July and August.
This idyllic village lies on a small promontory which dominates the Gironde estuary. The Gironde estuary takes on the appearance of a small sea. Some coves can be found at the base of the fortification of the church. In the distance you can see a marshy country and limestone cliffs where some carrelets or fishing huts are used by local fishermen who have strong ties to their estuary . The carrelets or fishing huts are one of the features of Charente Maritime.

All the cobbled streets in the village are for pedestrians only and the village is also famous for its hollyhocks which blossom everywhere along the walls of the houses .
The church, the main feature of the village which stands on the extremity of the headland was built in 1094 by the monks of St Jean dedicated to Ste Radegonde the patron saint of sailors.
Many miracles were accredited to Radegonde that is the reason why she attracted many pilgrims.After her death she was acknowledged as a patron saint. She was not canonised , and she is the only one who was declared bo be a saint by popular belief.
The church was also a resting place for the pilgrimage of St James of Compostela on the via Turonensis, because the pilgrims crossed the Gironde estuary at this spot.
The via Turonensis is one of the four ways for Compostela it starts from " Tour St Jacques" in Paris.
No two houses in the village are alike and what everyone remarks apart from the maritime atmosphere and the stunning views over the Gironde estuary is the peaceful tranquility of the village especially at this time of the year. The village is not tainted by modern developments.
When I was in Talmont last Tuesday a few tourists were just strolling about while I was taking some photos. Narrow streets open out on beautiful cottages with brightly coloured shutters some are pink, dark green, navy blue ....
Local people say that the colour of the shutters is the same as the fishing boats. When a fisherman has not used up the paint for his fishing boat, it is used for coating the shutters that is the reason why visitors car remark so many different colours. The bright-coloured shutters are one of the main features of the Charente Maritime.
In the village there are also lots of craft shops and gift shops they sell locally produced crafts and cakes.
The townhall is in the former school facing a hundred-year old lime tree ( tilleul) .And the little harbour provides a few moorings for fishermen and owners of boats. The harbour is also a haven for ducks and they are used to being given some bread crumbs !!
Walking from the village to Le Caillot would complete the visit of the village. The views from the cliff are stunning and on a bright day you can take fabulous photos of the church.
Talmont has been designated as one of the most beautiful villages in France, a label attributed by a French association to villages presenting several interests and meeting certain criteria for example less than 2000 inhabitants, at least two protected monuments or sights....
There are many advantages for Talmont to be in the guide of the most beautiful villages in France because it promotes its assets and then attracts more and more people every year.
There are 6 villages in Poitou Charente which have been designated and attributed the label of the most beautiful village in France.
Mornac sur Seudre - La Flotte ( ile de R�) - Aubeterre sur Dronne - Ars en R� ( Ile de r�) -
Angle sur l'Anglin and Talmont sur Gironde.