On the occasion of the 250e anniversary of the arrival of the Acadians in Poitou, I invite you to discover the surprising history of this people through a journey of memorial tourism.
To help me establish this circuit, I called on Françoise Glain who devoted two books to this colony and designed a goose game on the subject for a more playful approach.
This resident of Archigny tells me that it is not uncommon to welcome people there Canadians in the footsteps of their Acadian ancestors exiled in Grand Châtellerault…
WHAT IS ACADIA?
This geographical and cultural region encompasses part of the Canada Atlantic, mainly the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and part of the province of Quebec.
A LITTLE HISTORY
« French settlers who left across the Atlantic in 1604, the Acadians were caught between the Franco-English wars. », explains Françoise Glain to me.
They ended up being chased out by the English after 150 years. “ This is the deportation from 1755 to 1763, also called the great inconvenience. »
Some manage to reach the French coasts of Le Havre and Saint-Malo. After a long period of wandering, approximately 1500 Acadians agreed to participate in the project Lord of Monthoiron : the Marquis Pérusse des Cars invites them to come clear and cultivate his lands of Poitou. To this end, he built farms to house families.
ACADIAN PLACES OF MEMORY IN GRAND CHÂTELLERAULT
“The great path of Berry” became The Acadian Line
From Châtellerault to Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe, the Grand Chemin passes through the 3 communes in which were established the so-called Acadian farms : Archigny, La Puye, Saint-Pierre de Maillé. In front of each farm, a sign indicates the name of the family to which it was attributed. 39 remain, some redeveloped. Today all are private, except two (farm no. 6 and farm no. 10).
Farm No. 6 in Archigny
The municipality, owner of this house, has delegated its tourist management to associations which offer free visits all year round upon reservation.
You will be able to discover Acadian Cousins furniture staged in a living room of the time. An information room also presents documents and films on Acadian history and farms.
Open every weekend in July and August 2024 from 15 p.m. to 18:30 p.m.
And also during the August 15th festival and Heritage Days.
Contact: Françoise Glain on 06 35 27 00 60
Farm No. 10 in Archigny
Managed by the Heritage Department of the Land of Art and History of Grand Châtellerault, the building houses a museum. The building has just been restored using the techniques of the time, a mixture of earth, clay and branches. A scenography is in preparation.
The reopening date is not known at this time.
Our Lady of the Star in Archigny
During the construction of the farms, certain Acadian families were housed in the only Cistercian abbey in Poitou. The Bernardine plan is still perfectly legible.
Guided tours by the Sauvegarde de l’Étoile association
By appointment all year round and every day in July and August.
Price: €3,50. Contact: 05 49 46 80 65 or [email protected]
The La Chaussée crossing in Archigny
Where the D3 departmental road meets the D9, a median has recently been created with 3 flags hoisted (French, European and Acadian). On the ground, the Acadian Line and its 58 farms are engraved on a slab in concrete
The Saint-Georges church in Archigny
Acadians from neighboring farms came to meditate in this Romanesque monument from the 12the century. Some even got married there. (However, the reference church of the Acadian community was that of Cenan, in the commune of La Puye.)
On request, guided tours by the Archigny History and Heritage association.
Phone: 06 35 27 00 60
The castle of Monthoiron
Today known for its fortress tower designed by Leonardo da Vinci and for its treasure hunts popular with families, the estate welcomed at the time the residence of Louis Nicolas de Pérusse des Cars, physiocrat at the initiative of the arrival of the Acadians in Poitou.
Rue des Acadiens in Châtellerault
It is here, in the Châteauneuf district, that the first wave of displaced people arrived on foot during the winter of 1773 and were housed, in part, while awaiting the construction of farms in Archigny.
The Quai Alsace Lorraine in Châtellerault
Promenade des Acadians, on the left bank of the Vienne, a plaque telling the history of this people was recently installed to commemorate the 250e anniversary of the arrival in Châtellerault. It recalls that the second wave of Acadians in Poitou disembarked from river boats there in 1774.
Near Pré de l’Assesseur and Cognet Island
THE EVENT
August 15 Acadians celebrate their national holiday. Every year on this date, the local association The Acadian Cousins of Poitou organizes a joyful “tintamarre”, in reference to the tradition: walking through your community making noise.
On the program at farm n°10: concerts, garage sale, picnic, microlight flights above La Ligne Acadienne…
Good plan: picnic in the park, in the shade of century-old pear trees.
BOOKS AND A GAME
By Françoise Glain and the Archigny History and Heritage Collective
• Goose Game (in French and English): retraces the history of Acadia in Poitou in a chronological and fun way.
• “From Acadia to Poitou for young people”
• “A Colony in Poitou in the 18th century” : Acadian immigrants and their descendants on the lands of Archigny.
I hope that this article will have made you want to follow the memorial tour in order to find out more about the life of the Acadians in Poitou and their different destinies…
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