Ardillières

Ardillières is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern France.

Geography

Ardillières is located some 25 km south-east of La Rochelle and 20 km east of Châtelaillon-Plage. Access to the commune is by the D111 road from Ciré-d'Aunis in the west passing through the commune and the village and continuing to the east. The D208 road also goes north-east from the village to join the D939 at Le Cher. The D205E2 also goes north-west from the village to Le Thou. Apart from the village there are also the hamlets of Les Perrieres, Toucherit, Villeneuve, and Bois des Mottes. The commune is entirely farmland apart from a few small patches of forest.^[3]

The southern portion of the commune is covered with a network of canals which link to the Charras Canal which crosses the south of the commune from west to east.^[3]

Neighbouring communes and villages

^[3]

Administration

List of Successive Mayors^[4]

From	To	Name	Party
1826	1830	Etienne Martin
1971	2001	Guy Caquineau	ind.
2001	2020	Jean-Marie Targé	ind.
2020	2026	Olivier Denechaud

Demography

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Ardilliérois or Ardilliéroises in French.^[5]

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 560 —     1800 486 −2.00% 1806 501 +0.51% 1821 496 −0.07% 1831 684 +3.27% 1836 759 +2.10% 1841 756 −0.08% 1846 793 +0.96% 1851 843 +1.23% 1856 819 −0.58% 1861 860 +0.98% 1866 830 −0.71% 1872 850 +0.40% 1876 834 −0.47% 1881 819 −0.36% 1886 775 −1.10% 1891 680 −2.58% 1896 663 −0.51%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1901 607 −1.75% 1906 604 −0.10% 1911 588 −0.54% 1921 485 −1.91% 1926 502 +0.69% 1931 454 −1.99% 1936 425 −1.31% 1946 409 −0.38% 1954 444 +1.03% 1962 471 +0.74% 1968 430 −1.51% 1975 403 −0.92% 1982 456 +1.78% 1990 508 +1.36% 1999 555 +0.99% 2007 775 +4.26% 2012 818 +1.09% 2017 849 +0.75%
Source: EHESS[6] and INSEE[7]

Distribution of Age Groups

The population of the town is younger than the departmental average.

Percentage Distribution of Age Groups in Ardillières and Charente-Maritime Department in 2017

	Ardillières		Charente-Maritime
Age Range	Men	Women	Men	Women
0 to 14 Years	23.0	21.0	16.3	14.3
15 to 29 Years	13.3	15.2	15.4	13.1
30 to 44 Years	21.6	22.6	16.7	16.1
45 to 59 Years	23.2	22.9	20.2	19.9
60 to 74 Years	14.7	12.9	21.1	22.0
75 to 89 Years	3.7	5.2	9.4	12.3
90 Years+	0.5	0.2	1.0	2.4

Source: INSEE^[7][8]

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

The commune has several sites and buildings that are registered as historical monuments:

• The Château d'Ardillières (14th century).
  ^[9] There are two round towers. The 17th century lodging is surrounded by farm buildings of the same period and recent constructions. The medieval cellar is remarkable.
• The Pierre Levée Dolmen (Neolithic)
  ^[10]
• The Pierre-Fouquerée Dolmen (Neolithic)
  ^[11]

Other sites of interest

• The Charras Canal
• A Mill (Charles Goumard built it in the early 16th century). It contains a Lintel (1508)
  which is registered as an historical object.^[12]
• A Wind Farm
• Rural cottages

Religious heritage

The Parish Church of Saint Peter (11th century)

is registered as an historical monument.^[13] The Church has a Bronze Bell (1635)

which is registered as an historical object.^[14]

Ardillières Picture Gallery

• 
  The Church of Saint Peter
• 
  The entrance to the church
• 
  The side of the church
• 
  The War Memorial

Notable people linked to the commune

• Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville, Squire of Iberville and Ardillières, founder of the Louisiana colony in 1700 where he built the Fort of Biloxi.

See also

• Communes of the Charente-Maritime department

References

External links

• Ardillières on the National Geographic Institute website (in French)
• Ardillières on Géoportail, National Geographic Institute (IGN) website (in French)
• Ardillières on the 1750 Cassini Map