Chauvigny

Chauvigny, in the Vienne, owes its fame to its upper town, an exceptional group of castles in which no fewer than five medieval castles and fortresses, built by rival powers over the centuries, line a rocky spur: the baronial castle, the Château d'Harcourt, the Gouzon keep and the Tour de Flin are among them, making a fortified landscape unique in France.

Below these impressive ruins, the Church of Saint-Pierre, a jewel of Poitou Romanesque art, has finely carved capitals showing biblical scenes and fantastic creatures. The lower town, crossed by the Vienne, has a more modest but lively fabric, with traditional milling and ceramics still present. Chauvigny is one of the département's major heritage stops, between feudal remains and Romanesque art.

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