The best traffic-free bike rides around Thézac

The port of Ribérou is a major heritage site in Saujon, bearing witness to a prosperous maritime past linked to the salt and wine trade. Transformed in the 19th century by ambitious works, it has now been reinvented as a place for living, relaxation, and preserving local history. 🛶 Origins and the Middle Ages The port of Ribérou takes its name from the Latin word ripa ("riverbank") or the Occitan word ribèira ("river"). It is located at the head of the Seudre estuary. It existed as early as the 11th century and became an important river and sea port thanks to its strategic position at the head of the estuary, used particularly for the salt trade—then called "white gold"—a highly sought-after product for preserving food. 🚢 Medieval Period and International Trade With the opening of British markets during the reigns of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II Plantagenet, ships laden with wool, salt, wine, and other goods flocked to Ribérou. In the 16th century, the port exported local wines (such as cognac and pineau) throughout Europe. In 1577, during the Wars of Religion, the port was a strategic site: troops were stationed there, and battles took place. 🏗️ Decline, Reconstruction, and the 19th Century The estuary gradually silted up, making navigation difficult. By 1691, only smaller vessels could dock there. During the French Revolution, the sale of the tidal mill, which helped remove sediment, worsened the silting, leading to the port's decline. A modernization project began in 1822, but it wasn't until 1839 that an ambitious program was launched under the impetus of Jules Dufaure—a native of Saujon and Minister of Public Works—with the construction of sturdy quays, slipways, a lock bridge (marking the boundary between fresh and salt water), and reception facilities. In 1842, the work was completed, and the main quay was named Quai Dufaure in honor of this political support. 📉 Gradual Decline and Modernization The arrival of the railway in 1876 and the persistent problems of silting led to a decline in the port's traditional commercial activity, already facing competition from other transport networks. In the 20th century, the port gradually lost its economic importance but remained active for traditional fishing and became a place for pleasure boating, leisure, and local culture. Urban and tourism development projects (particularly in 2011–2012) modernized the port while preserving its historical charm. 🌊 Today The port of Ribérou is now a small fishing and pleasure port, much appreciated for its walks along the Seudre River, water sports (canoeing, kayaking, paddleboarding, etc.), and seasonal events.

the eel pass

The flushing lock is located at the head of the port, between the north bank's embankment and the south bank's quay. A retention basin, occupying the non-navigable Seudre riverbed as far as Saujon, follows the flushing lock. Within the retention basin, rubble stone embankments extend the lock's return walls for a few meters. The lock itself forms a bridge carrying a road. The lock bridge consists of two piers, forming three arches, each housing two gates. On the upstream side of the lock, the piers have semicircular cutwaters. The three bands are stacked and terminate in clamps. The lock ends with a cornice resting on modillions. The cornice follows the shape of the cutwaters. A metal balustrade, also semicircular in shape, is fixed to the top of the lock. This balustrade is framed by two stone moldings. The sluice gate and its upstream and downstream return walls are constructed of dressed stone. The masonry is of medium and regular quality, except for the coping of the return walls, which features large and regular masonry. The upstream north return wall is lower than the one on the south bank. A small parapet of recently constructed white rubble masonry surmounts it. The sluice gate is equipped with metal gates, the modern racks of which are visible. The first sluice gate was built around 1825 on the site of a former tidal mill. During the works carried out between 1839 and 1842, the sluice gate's embankment was modified to allow the passage of vehicles. Between 1847 and 1853, the lock was enlarged to allow for larger flushes, and the reservoir was excavated. Return walls were also built to connect the flushing lock to the riprap. It was then restored in 1865 and completely rebuilt between 1868 and 1869. The lock is 10.50 m wide, and its gates are each 1.50 m wide. The reservoir is 700 m long and has an average width of 30 m.

very cute

Small, typical oyster port

The church suffered little damage during the Hundred Years' War and the Wars of Religion. From the end of the 18th century, maintenance work was undertaken mainly inside the church. In 1822, the reconstruction of the bell tower framework began, followed in 1852 by the restoration of the west facade. A further restoration took place around 1860, and the sacristy was enlarged by the construction of a semicircular annex extending the Romanesque apse. Beginning in 1880, a roof repair campaign began, and a new belfry was installed in the bell tower. From 1890 to 1900, the cemetery surrounding the church was moved to the "Fief des Rentes," and the former burial site was transformed into a public square. Starting in 1926, the choir roof was replaced and the bell tower was made watertight. In 1971, the work program included the renovation of the exterior walls, the demolition of the false apse and the sacristy that concealed the apse of the south transept. In 1990, the main door was replaced with oak leaves, the stones were repointed, and the collapsed arch keystone was reinstalled. In the 2000s, the municipality repaired the mechanism of the two belfry bells, and the building was illuminated and maintenance work was carried out.

The Church of Our Lady of Corme-Écluse, the seat of a former Benedictine priory of the Abbey of the Ladies of Saintes, was donated around 1104 by Ramnulfus Focaudi (Bishop of Saintes between 1083 and 1106) to the Royal Abbey of Saint-Jean-d'Angély "so that he might always enjoy it and possess it in perpetuity." This abbey was thus responsible for the reconstruction of the sanctuary in the mid-12th century in the Romanesque style. A plaque affixed to the south wall of the nave contains a few historical snippets, still legible: 1200, the Benedictines completed the construction and adorned the church with an oak statue of the Blessed Virgin; 1327, the Abbot of Saint-Jean-d'Angely and an envoy of Pope John XXII prayed before the venerated image; In 1628, a pilgrimage was established to venerate the statue; In 1733, the statue was mutilated. The desecrator was punished. The church's plan is a slightly asymmetrical Latin cross (the north arm of the transept is longer than the south arm). The nave consists of two bays covered by pointed barrel vaults. It is lit by three symbolic windows rebuilt in the 13th century. A transverse arch separates the nave from the transept, whose crossing, under the bell tower, is covered by a cupola on squinches. The south arm of the transept opens onto an apse with a semi-dome vault. However, the north arm, rebuilt in the 17th century in the Romanesque style, is slightly longer than the south arm, and is designed on a rectangular plan without an apse. This arm has a portal with columns and toric rollers. After passing the triumphal arch, the choir begins with a straight bay covered with a semi-circular barrel vault and ends with a semi-circular vaulted arch.

Upon arriving in Corme-Écluse, it's only natural to stop at the church square, the heart of the Cormillon village. On this square, facing the town hall, stands the Church of Notre-Dame. Walk around it to admire the architectural details characteristic of the 12th-century Saintonge Romanesque style. The church was the seat of a former Benedictine priory of the Abbey of the Ladies of Saintes. The sculpted decoration of the Abbey of the Ladies certainly inspired that of the church of Corme-Écluse. This was often the case; mother abbeys were taken as examples by the priories that depended on them in terms of architecture and sculpture. In some cases, it is even assumed that the sponsors, artists, or craftsmen were the same people or at least from the same circle, sometimes descendants. Since the 13th century, the monument has been the destination of numerous pilgrimages that continue to this day. The pilgrimage takes place on the third Sunday of July in the convent gardens, followed by a procession to the Church of Our Lady.