Saint-Jean-d'Angély

Saint-Jean-d'Angély
Coat of arms
Saint-Jean-d'Angély
Location within Poitou-Charentes region  Saint-Jean-d'Angély
Coordinates: 45°56′48″N 0°31′46″W / 45.9466°N 0.5294°WCoordinates: 45°56′48″N 0°31′46″W / 45.9466°N 0.5294°W
Country	France
Region	Aquitaine-Limousin-Poitou-Charentes
Department	Charente-Maritime
Arrondissement	Saint-Jean-d'Angély
Canton	Saint-Jean-d'Angély
Intercommunality	Saint-Jean-d'Angély
Government
• Mayor (2014-)	Françoise Mesnard (PS)[1]
Area^1	18.78 km^2 (7.25 sq mi)
Population (2008)^2	7,522
• Density	400/km^2 (1,000/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	17347 / 17400
Elevation	8–76 m (26–249 ft) (avg. 4 m or 13 ft)
^1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. ^2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Saint-Jean-d'Angély (French: [sɛ̃.ʒɑ̃.dɑ̃.ʒe.li]) is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.

The commune has its historical origins in the Abbey of Saint-Jean-d'Angély.

Royal abbey

Founded in the ninth century to house a relic of Saint John the Baptist, and rebuilt in the 14th, 17th and 18th centuries because of repeated destruction, then later abandoned, the Abbey is now a listed building. It remains the most remarkable piece of architecture of Saint-Jean-d'Angély, a town which has kept all its medieval charm. Situated on the pilgrim route that led to Santiago de Compostela^[2] the edifice still constitutes a major stopping-off point towards Santiago de Compostela. Since 1989, the Royal Abbey has housed the Centre of European Culture, which has breathed new life into the Abbey by restoring it as a historical and cultural site and as a place for the exchange of ideas.

From 1989 to 1997, the restoration of the monastic buildings has been carried out according to the needs of the Centre of European Culture, with an emphasis placed on accommodations, catering, as well as rooms for conferences, reunions and workshops. The Centre has been at the forefront of the revitalization of the building, to such a point that today the Centre and the Abbey have been linked in the minds of the residents.

Centre of European culture

The Centre of European Culture at Saint-Jean-d'Angély, created in 1989 as a joint initiative taken by the Minister of Culture, the town of Saint-Jean-d'Angély, the regional council of Poitou-Charentes and the council of Charente Maritime, has hosted multinational sessions focused on European culture and citizenship that are dedicated to youngsters sixteen to nineteen years, coming from all European countries.

Modern Saint-Jean

Saint-Jean D'Angely is now home to a vibrant and bustling town centre, with a twice-weekly market (on Saturdays and Wednesdays). Also present is a swimming and fitness centre, Atlantys, which resides on the edge of the town.

Geography

The Boutonne flows northwest through the commune; the town lies on its right bank.

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

• Koumondé, Togo
• Mondsee, Austria
• New Iberia, Louisiana, USA
• Saint-Sulpice, Quebec, Canada

Population

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1793	6,059	—
1800	5,400	−10.9%
1806	5,351	−0.9%
1821	5,541	+3.6%
1831	6,031	+8.8%
1836	5,915	−1.9%
1841	6,107	+3.2%
1846	6,484	+6.2%
1851	6,413	−1.1%
1856	6,203	−3.3%
1861	6,392	+3.0%
1866	7,023	+9.9%
1872	6,812	−3.0%
1876	7,172	+5.3%
1881	7,279	+1.5%
1886	7,255	−0.3%
1891	7,297	+0.6%
1896	7,183	−1.6%
1901	7,041	−2.0%
1906	7,087	+0.7%
1911	7,060	−0.4%
1921	6,541	−7.4%
1926	6,745	+3.1%
1931	6,610	−2.0%
1936	6,728	+1.8%
1946	7,280	+8.2%
1954	7,929	+8.9%
1962	8,660	+9.2%
1968	9,739	+12.5%
1975	9,642	−1.0%
1982	8,820	−8.5%
1990	8,060	−8.6%
1999	7,681	−4.7%
2008	7,522	−2.1%

See also

• Communes of the Charente-Maritime department

References

• INSEE

1. http://www.angely.net/les_elus.html
2. The route is registered by the UNESCO as part of the "World Heritage of Humanity"

External links

• The Centre of European Culture