Poitiers is a city on the Clain river in west-central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and the historical centre of Poitou.
A city of art and history, still known as “Ville aux cent clochés” the centre of town is picturesque and its streets include predominantly historical architecture and half-timbered houses, especially religious architecture, mostly from the Romanesque period ; including notably the Saint-Jean baptistery (4th century), the hypogeum of the Dunes (7th century), the Notre-Dame-la-Grande church (12th century), etc.
Country | France |
---|---|
Region | Nouvelle-Aquitaine |
Department | Vienne |
Government | |
Mayor (2014–2020) | Alain Claeys |
Area1 | 42.11 km2 (16.26 sq mi) |
Population (2014) | 87,435 |
Density | 2,100/km2 (5,400/sq mi) |
Demonym(s) | Poitevins |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
The city’s name is associated with two major battles that took place in the area. The first, in 732, also known as the Battle of Tours. The second, in 1356, was one of the key battles of the Hundred Years War.
Inhabitants and demography
Inhabitants of Poitiers are referred to as Poitevins or Poitevines, although this denomination can be used for anyone from the Poitou province.
Landmarks and attractions
- Baptistère Saint-Jean (4th century), the oldest church in France
- Église Notre-Dame-la-Grande, oldest romanesque architecture church in Europe
- Musée Sainte-Croix, the largest museum in Poitiers
- Église Saint-Hilaire-le-Grand (11th century)
- Jardin des Plantes de Poitiers, a park and botanical garden
- Théâtre Municipal de Poitiers, by the French architect Édouard Lardillier
- Parc du Futuroscope (European Park of the Moving Image, some 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Poitiers; theme is visual communication technology in ultramodern buildings)
- Le Confort Moderne
Sports
The Stade Poitevin, founded in 1900, is a multi-sports club, which fields several top-level teams in a variety of sports. These include a volleyball team that play in the French Pro A volleyball league, a basketball team, an amateur football team and a professional rugby team (as of the 2008–2009 season.)
Tourism
Historic churches, in particular Romanesque church buildings, are the main attraction inside Poitiers itself. The town’s centre is picturesque, with generally well-preserved architecture and a recently re-zoned pedestrian area. There are numerous shops, cafes and restaurants in the town centre.
Since 1987, Poitiers’ tourist industry has indirectly benefited from the Futuroscope theme-park and research park in nearby Chasseneuil-du-Poitou. The centre of town receives visits in complement to the theme-park and benefits from a larger proportion of European tourists, notably from the United Kingdom.
Transport
Poitiers’ railway station lies on the TGV Atlantique line between Paris and Bordeaux. The station is in the valley to the west of the old town centre.
Poitiers – Biard Airport is located 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) west of Poitiers with flights to Lyon-Saint Exupéry, London-Stansted, Edinburgh and Shannon, Ireland on Ryanair.
Education
The city of Poitiers has a very old tradition as a university centre, starting in the Middle Ages. The University of Poitiers was established in 1431 and has welcomed many famous philosophers and scientists throughout the ages.
The University covers all major fields from sciences to geography, history, languages economics and law.
In addition to the University, Poitiers also hosts two engineering schools and two business schools:
- the École nationale supérieure de mécanique et d’aérotechnique (ENSMA)
- the École nationale supérieure d’ingénieurs de Poitiers (ENSIP)
- the France Business School (FBS)
- the Institut d’Administration des Entreprises de Poitiers (IAE).