Location

Poitiers, today capital of the Vienne department, is situated in the west of France. It is a university town known for its rich history. Founded on the Roman base of Lemonum , it became the capital of a territory that included the current departments of Vienne, Deux-Sèvres and Vendée, and was a key city in the first urban networks of Gaul. In the 1st century it developed as an important political center and relay of the imperial administration. A bisphoric from the fourth century, it is home to the Saint Croix Abbey, first abbey for women, founded by St. Radegonde in the sixth century. In the twelfth century, the city was known for its princes, its clergy and its schools. Eleanor of Aquitaine, queen consort of France and England and duchess of Aquitaine, first placed Poitiers in the royal domain of the Capetians, and then in the domain of the Plantagenets. The creation of the university in 1431 further affirmed the status of Poitiers as a regional capital. With its 29 parishes, its numerous religious establishments, its lawyers and the strong reputation of the University, it was a prestigious urban center. Poitiers is today a city with an immensely rich past, as attested to by the architecture and monuments of the city. Notre Dame La Grande , the Saint Pierre cathedral with its Clicquot organ, the Saint Jean Baptistery, the Salle des Pas Perdus of the Palais de Justice : the imprint of history is everywhere.