WITH the diabolical sterling to euro exchange rate reducing pension and investment income by 25 per cent, expats living in the l'Hexagon are tighteningn their belts and thinking twice before lunching out in the best restaurants and enjoying evenings at the theatre, writes Beryl Brennan.
So here is a suggestion for an inexpensive excursion on a fine day - a walk round Niort, especially pleasant on Sundays, when the streets are empty!
Niort has its origins in the 7th Century, when a small bridge was built over the Sèvre and was named 'new ford'. The village became known as Novioritum and then Niort.
In the 12th and 13th centuries the ocean extended as far as Niort, making it a prosperous port with quays welcoming hundreds of sailing barges carrying salt, wine, cereals and skins, bringing prosperity to the town.
Craftsmen used to tan sheepskins here, and the chamois leather and glove-making industries employed thousands of people.
The town is the seat of the Prefecture, a court of assize, and has tribunals of first instance and commerce.
There is a board of trade arbitration, chamber of commerce and a branch of the Bank of France. It is also the mutual insurance capital of Europe, as evidenced by the impressive offices of MAIF, MAAF and MACIF to name but three.
The best place to start a walk is the tree-lined square Place de la Brèche with spaces for over 400 vehicles.
It was originally built on top of a large marsh to provide a site for the town's fairs and markets, and required a hole to be dug to let the water drain into the river Sèvre.
Across the square, the main street is attractively lined with bronze open-mouthed dragons on both sides, keeping shoppers away from the road traffic.
One local legend tells of dragons belonging to King Louis XIV exacting violence against the Protestants, whilst another speaks of a deserting albeit courageous soldier who fought against a monster which attacked women and children; these dragons were designed by the plastic-arts designer Hondelatte and installed in 1992.
At the top of this street is Les Halles, the covered market, a listed building of cast-iron, glass and steel, built in 1869 in the Baltard style.
Note the clock face, which is decorated with images of Mercury, god of trade, travel and thieves, and Ceres, goddess of agriculture, the latter sitting on crops of fruit and vegetables. Here on Thursdays and Saturdays over 150 traders gather to offer their wares for sale.
A short step to the left is the Donjon of Eleanor of Aquitaine, the second largest donjon in France, the largest being the one at Vincennes.
It had been used as a dungeon during the 15th century and in 1979 excavations revealed a skeleton chained in irons.
Eleanor of Aquitaine and her second husband King Henry II of England rebuilt the donjon after the original building was burnt to the ground by fire. Nowadays the building is a museum containing costumes, jewellery and furniture from the Poitou region.
Turning left past the donjon, the road is flanked by the municipal office buildings, and at the head the impressive Hôtel de Ville.
Built in the neo-Renaissance style and designed by the architect Segrétain, the first stone was laid by Félix Faure, President of the French Republic, in the early 1800's.
Backtracking down past the donjon to the tranquil Sèvre Niortaise, take a moment to stop and admire the old bridges, linking both banks and the island in the middle.
Behind you the twin spires of the L'Église Saint-André dominate the landscape. This is the oldest church in the town and stands on the highest hill. The current building is a 19th century restoration as sadly the original was ruined during the wars of religion.
This is just a taster of the attractions of a walk round Niort, but if you wander the narrow back streets, lined with shop windows advertising chocolatiers, coiffures and china shops, take a moment to notice the old entrances and gateways, renovated timber-framed buildings, and signs painted onto storefronts.
The Niort Office de Tourisme, near the Hôtel de Ville, has a leaflet in English detailing a longer walk round the town pin-pointing the buildings of interest. It's well worth making the trip to get a copy.
Beryl Brennan worked for more then 10 years with BBC Manchester regional radio, before moving to western France in 2002. While still writing about France, her other passion is greyhounds, helping to rehome rescued dogs through the Galgo News website.
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A great round up Beryl. We live 30 mins from Niort and have been shopping, but not really had chance to appreciate the history. Looking forward to revisiting now and leaving the shopping bags at home!
Posted by: Richard B | 06 January 2009 at 20:21
Hi Richard
Glad you found this interesting. It really is a fascinating place to walk round.
The English language guide is called 'Niort over 8 centuries of history' and there is another in French 'Circuit historique 2heures'.
Enjoy, on a blue sky day.
Beryl
Posted by: Mediabee | 07 January 2009 at 15:14