From gladiators to pleasure boats in the capital of the Saintonge.

The river Charente winds through Saintes and is the haunt of pleasure craft, anglers and holidaymakers who come ashore from their houseboats for a spot of relaxation, sightseeing and history. Wander through the streets lined with fine private hotels built by wealthy Cognac merchants in Saintes’ chic quarter. In the nearby Musée de l’Échevinage you can admire the collections of Sèvres porcelain. Next to the monumental portal, the Porte Germanicus, is the museum of archeology, an ex-abattoir which houses a small part of Saintes’ extraordinary collection of Roman finds.

The Roman city of Mediolanum Santonum was founded by order of the Emperor Augustus who wanted to spread Roman ideas throughout the empire via a road linking Lyon to the west coast. At that time, around 20BC, the area was inhabited by a Celtic tribe called Santons. Much of the rocky spur where the city was founded has disappeared under the hillside, now too built-up to allow further digs. The amphitheatre was sited away from the main town, in the valley, for easy access from the Roman road. At one end of the amphitheatre you can still see the Porte des Vivants where notables arrived in procession and the gladiators and lions entered the arena. Opposite is the much lower Porte des Morts (libitensis) through which victims were carried out feet first.

Museum of archeology

Later on, Saintes became an important centre of the Christian faith. The first bishop, Saint Eutrope, was a martyr who was stoned and then beaten to death. His relics, in the crypt of the church dedicated to him, were venerated by pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain. Inside the crypt, the pure lines of the Romanesque arches contrast with the ornamentation on the capitals where Gothic plant and geometrical motifs flourish.
Saintes suffered the strife of the Wars of Religion in the 16th century, when the powerful Catholic bishopric in Saintes, under the see of Bordeaux, served to counter the Protestant stronghold of La Rochelle. In the 17th century, Henri IV modernised the defences of the feudal château but these were to be partially demolished 20 years later on the orders of Louis XIII who thought they might be too tempting a stronghold for the Protestants or English to seize.
These days the abbey, Abbaye aux Dames, with its belfry seen from miles around, hosts music and other cultural events throughout the year.

Not too far away is another abbatial music venue, the 12th century Benedictine abbey of Fontdouce, named after the stream which crosses the land, Fontaine Douce. Pilgrims on the route from Aulnay who wanted a tranquil break, and Eleanor of Aquitaine and Louis IX stayed here. The monks’ living quarters are still intact, including the plumbing! Some of the vaulted Gothic rooms are in good condition and in summer you can enjoy classical and jazz concerts here.