A-Z of the Communes in the Deux-Sèvres

Saivres

by Sue Burgess

Church and mairie at Saivres

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The commune of Saivres includes settlements (villae) dating from the Gallo-Roman times, such as those at Vix and Lugné. However, it was the rise in importance of Saint-Maixent which allowed Saivres to develop from the VIth century onwards.

Lunus, a Roman nobleman is said to have founded the village of Lugné. At the Merovingien period, Vix was a Curtis (domain exploited by free peasants) but it soon became an area of land belonging to the crown and then to the Counts of Poitou. The first known Lord of Vix was Aymeri de Sazay who, in 1260, was a liegeman of Alphonse de France, the Count of Poitiers, and brother of Louis IX. At the same period Lugné was a Curtis which became a castellany dependant on Sainte-Néomaye. Lugné was the seat of a court of law (la Chambre de Lugné) presided by the Seneschal of Lugné. The lands and castles of Lugné passed through the hands of different noble families (de Nuchèze, de Bissy). There are two very old domains in Lugné, La Cour and la Voûte, owned in the XVIIth century by protestant farmers who were the descendants of a fighter named Daniel Redien. The latter defended Saivres against the Spanish troups and was taken prisoner along with his son in 1592 and then released thanks to inhabitants of Saivres who paid a large ransom for his freedom. Vix and Lugné are joined by a very old pathway dating from the Gallo-Roman times and which during the middle ages was known as ‘la cueille aux nobles’. (the picking of the nobles) The other fiefdoms of Saivres are not as old. Beauregard is a small seigneury which depended on that of Vix. Guy Lambert had the château of Beauregard built at the beginning of the XVth century and then it belonged to the Neuport, Lambert and Baudet families. L’Herbaudière is a little older than Beauregard - a document dating from 1344 mentions Joanne de Tamoigne de Lairebaudiere, in the parish of Saivres. The old medieval dwelling was restored and altered by Philippe de Neuport at the end of the XVIth century. Just before the Revolution l’Herbaudiere belonged to Charles Guichard d’Orfeuille, a gentleman of the chamber of the king. After the Revolution, the château was seized and sold in 1794 to Louis Vandier. From the XVIIth century documents can be found about the seigneury of La Voûte (Belle vue).

The Church

Like most other religious buildings, the church of Saivres was not built here by chance. It was certainly built on the site of a Gallo-Roman temple which had itself been built on Gaulish foundations. Mounds, hills and water have always had a sacred characteristic. Saivres, on a hill, with several springs, overlooking a river, was a special place. Christianism replaced the pagan temples with churches protected by the saints.

In 1080, St.Pierre’s church, which stands on the slope on a hill overlooking the Ligueure, was given to the Abbey at Maillezais by Dodo (sometimes written Dodon) and his brothers. Built in the XIIIth and XVth centuries, the church would have replaced a fortified church of the same size. Damaged during the hundred years war and then restored, the church was again runied by the protestants in 1568. The destruction only left part of the walls standing. In 1578, the inhabitants of Saivres got together and decided to sell some land belonging to the parish so they could use the money to rebuild the ruined church. It was rebuilt in around 1579 and a new bell tower was built leaning against the old one. It is probably at this time that the church was dedicated to Saint Pierre. Today it is difficult to imagine what the church must have been like in the 13th century. But when you look at the altar, the left side of the church, part of the bell tower and the entrance door date from that period.

In the left part of the church, the recumbent statue of Isabeau de Verrière lady of la Tine can be seen and this dates from the XIIIth century. The bells were christened in 1869 and are called Pauline Charlotte and Marie Louise.

The Presbytery

The construction of the new presbytery (today the town hall) dates from 1860 and cost about 9300 francs.

The footbridges

On the commune, only three footbridges across the Ligueure remain. A hundred years ago there were five. People in rural areas walked everywhere and the shortest way from A to B was the straightest line posssible.

Originally the footbridges were just bits of wood thrown across the stream. These were carried away every time the water levels rose which was very frequent in the winter. As time went by, these pieces of wood were replaced by more sophisticated footbridges but these were also carried away in the winter. Recently the footbridges that were the most frequently damaged, have been raised and built more solidly. The dam at la Touche Poupard now limits the effects of flooding. The footbridge of “La Cailletière”, on the way to St.Maixent, allows the walker to reach Teindeur, La Couture, Vix and Lugné. It is on a popular and busy walking path. There are several marked out walking trails in the commune.

The footbridge of “La Coutancière” was rebuilt in concrete and allows people to cross the river to get to the walking circuit and the arboretum.

The footbridge of “Maunay” has only existed since 1912. There had previously been a footbridge at “Digue” which allowed people coming on foot from Puymorillon and Chisseré to cross as they went towards St.Maixent. According to various texts, this passage was very busy. After the bridge on the road from Donia to Chisseré was built, vehicles coming from Puymorillon had to go through la Coutancière and le Magnoux or le Blanchard if the ford (passage à gué) was not passable.

The Water Mills

There were three one-wheel mills situated on the stream “Le Geure”. One mill called “Maunay” was situated at the place called le Pont de Maunay. The second which was further upstream was near the hamlet of Donia close to the spot where the Ligueure and the Blanchardière flow into each other. The third mill known as “Piot” was situated between le Pont and Castarie. A few old stones remain and some traces are still visible, notably the mill races. In 1710, the mill was worked by Jacques Dupuy, the husband of Louise Miguault. 50 years later, François Desré, a miller, and Louise Guay, his wife, worked it. In 1774, it was owned by a person named Buzard from St.Maixent, then Jean Vascher, a miller, took it on. The mill at the Pont de Saivres was more recent. It was certainly built in the middle of the 18th century because, along with the other three, it can be seen Cassini’s map. All activity was stopped after the second world war.

Springs and Wash-houses

The village of Saivres is situated in an area where there are a lot of springs. Most of the villages have a spring, a washhouse and a drinking trough. There are 24 in the commune. Five are privately owned. These are found in the hamlets of Russay (hidden in the brambles by the Puymorillon road), l’Herbaudière (in the middle of a field), Teindeur (at the foot of a rock), la Mardière (the spring now feeds a pond) and La Coutancière (a fast flowing spring called “Rocheguin” which is the source of a stream that flows into à le Chambon at la Petite Coutancière ). The public (communal) wash-houses are St.Pierre - Magnoux - Pont de Saivres - Pouillet - la Briaudière - la Bernatière - Castarie - Verrières - Perré – Vix (see photo above) - la Voûte - Lugné - Lugné Rétive - L’houmeau - la Métiverie - Chisseré - Pissot/Puymorillon – Spring of les Vallées which forms a stream that is about 1km long and which flows into the Chambon at Pont de Maunay- La Fragnelière (spring and drinking trough).

The structures of some of these have now disappeared, (la Bernatière, Castarie, la Voûte) and have been replaced by a bassin in stone.

The Wash-house at Vix is fed by the spring of the wash-house of Teindeur. A lot of the structures which belong to the commune are in need of renovation.