Heritage (English version)

Situated on the lands of the farm “la fontenille”, the erected stone (from Middle ages calling) is covered with two stone tables, one being slanted.

Generally speaking, the building of dolmens would date back to the 2500 - 1500 period before Christ. They are of a religious character: they are tombs, they also corresponded precisely to the idea of death and the beyond. They are previous to the arrival of the Celts.

The ancient character, the mystery of the use , the huge mass did much to the fears and veneration along the years; from then on  legends were created. Not far from there, is a cave of “fadets” ( farfadets )-  farfadets being the soul of the dead people; the celtic belief was that along with the living people was a world of small people representing the dead ones.

Built on the slope of the river Thouaret, very near the gallo- roman site discovered in the 19^th century, the whole of the buildings define an irregular pentagon.

Nearby was a chapel where Saint Hilaire is said to have preached. It is also said that the buildings could have been the property of the Templars until Philippe Le Bel forbid the order; it might have been transformed to an abbey for women.

Probably dating back to the 16th century, the current house is orientated north and consists in two sets of buildings at a 90° angle; it was turned into a farm during the revolution days. The decoration is rather austere, the stone used accounts for that : granite is hard to carve. The door is topped with a doric span adorned with a frieze and a pediment.

“The most ancient and venerable objects are without a doubt the chalice and the paten of Faye L’Abbesse ...”

“The objects are said to have been given by an abbess of Saint Jean De Bonneval around 1550 (see article : origin of the community).

 Extracts from the exhibition catalogue of the general survey.

The legend of the marble tablet of Saint Hilaire

"The object is a tablet of porphyry that would protect against some diseases or would cure them; La Fontenelle de Vaudoré saw in it the portable altar used by the bishop while on missionary tasks round the countryside. It is said that the altar had been kept in the chapel of “les Crânières” (today destroyed) before disappearing. Then, one day it was found again: an ox was growing bigger and bigger each day though eating nothing; the animal was licking the tablet regularly”.  (Extracts from the exhibition catalogue of the general survey.)

 The belief was still persisting in the 1960’s. During the Holy week, many pilgrims - even from the neighbouring counties - would come and have themselves “marbled”. Many ex voto on show on the walls of the church account for that devotion.

In 1855, M. Trinchot, donated his properties with a condition that an alms house, and a school for girls should be built.

It was not until 1881 that the hospital was built on the site of a field called “Field of the Abbess”. The care there was given by the Sainte Anne sisters from Saumur. The building has lost its original aim as it is the current town hall, the hospital having been transferred to the current site of the old people’s home.

Following a series of excavations from 1850, a great number of objects were found (nowadays kept in the museum of Niort), and the site of an ancient Gallo-Roman village was discovered.

on Charles de Gaulle square 

A House which was built before the revolution, with the top of the walls projecting out; at a time half-timbered, half stone façade.

It was renovated in 2010.

Reverend Fradin – who was gased during the first world war – was probably the origin of the building of the war memorial which was unveiled on November 28, 1920, His Lordship Durfort, bishop of Poitiers being present.

“The plaques with the names of the dead are edged by upsidedown torches, an ancient symbol of mourning. The epitaph “to those who died for the nation” is followed by a brief prayer “requiescant in pace” (may they rest in peace”).

The base relief shows a wounded soldier next to whom comes and kneels a winged character.

Is the scene an allegory of the Victory coming to rescue the wounded soldier, and announce the happy end of the fights? Or is it an angel coming to collect the soul of the soldier whose face seems to be rigid in Death?”

(From a master’s thesis by Guillaume Benoit, Faye L’Abbesse, 1998).

The site called “Rochette” (down by the Thouaret river)

The rock on which the statue was erected then belonged to the Désormeaux family – they were an example of local bourgeoisie, and it would have a strong influence on the life of the village as well as in religious matters.

Following the agreement of the clergy, the statue of the Virgin was erected on the site at the family’s expense, it would evoke the Lourdes grotto.

With many deaths, and some reverses of fortune later, most of the property was sold except for the place where the statue was.

Around 1930, the parish completed the site with a statue of saint Bernadette. Then in 1987, the community purchased it.

On the way to Airvault, at the boarder of Faye L’Abesse and Boussais territories, the ancient bridge, or Saint Louis bridge, now Chatillon bridge, spans the Thouaret river with two arches; it is believed to have been built around 1200; it is a Romanesque bridge (often wrongly called Roman).

About 100 yards donwstream, on the site of the ancient roadway, there is an earthy levee leading to a block of masonry. That ancient base remnant of a Gallo-roman bridge is a unique example in the area of a bridge dating back to that period.

It shows that there existed a slip road of the Roman road that linked Poitiers to Nantes, via La Grimaudière and the ford of Soulièvres. The current bridge was built in 1852.

(From M. Henri Giret, Boussais)