NOTES FOR DRIVERS
The road is hilly at first, with descents at Croutelle and Vivonne.
Level on leaving Couhé-Vérac, but hilly near Ruffec, and hills of a low gradient are frequent on the way to Mansle, where there is an easy descent to the Charente. After Tourriers the hills are a little steeper.
PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE
Poitiers.—A large town on a flat raised area of rock, and famous for its beautiful Romanesque churches: (1) Notre Dame-la-Grande, eleventh and twelfth centuries; (2) Cathedral of St. Pierre, twelfth century, with Gothic west end and towers, choir-stalls 1235 to 1257, stained glass at each end, twelfth and thirteenth centuries; (3) St. Hilaire-le-Grand, tenth and eleventh centuries, on Roman site, has seven naves; (4) St. Porchaire, beautiful eleventh-century tower; (5) St. Radegonde, chiefly eleventh century, tomb of St. Radegonde; (6) Church of Montierneuf belonged to eleventh-century abbey, and has part of choir as old; (7) Temple of St. John, a baptistery of Early Christian date, built A.D. 320 to 330; Palais de Justice includes the old ducal palace; hall of Romanesque and Gothic periods; keep, with four towers, fifteenth century; ramparts of town standing at southern corner, and at the north are the ruins of the château, twelfth and fourteenth centuries; megalith called Pierre Levée in the suburb of St. Saturnin.
Vivonne.—A village with a twelfth-century church.
Couhé-Vérac.—A large and not very interesting village.
Chaunay.—A small village with an interesting twelfth-century church.
Ruffec.—A small town with a few old houses, and a church with a richly carved Romanesque western façade.
Mansle.—A pretty village on the Charente with a twelfth-century church.