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Châtellerault (Municipality, Vienne, France)

Flag of Châtellerault - Image by Olivier Touzeau, 5 February 2022

Presentation of Châtellerault
Flag of Châtellerault
Former flag of Châtellerault

See also:

Presentation of Châtellerault

Châtellerault (31,573 inhabitants in 2020; 5,193 ha) is a commune and sub-prefecture in the Vienne department, and the seat of the Communauté d'agglomération du Grand Châtellerault.

Châtellerault was an important stronghold on the northern borders of Poitou, established by the Count of Poitiers to secure his borders in the early 10th century. The count's local representative, the Vicomte de Châtellerault, was established as a hereditary appointment by the time of Airaud, first mentionned in 936, who was probably a kinsman of the counts of Auvergne and dukes of Aquitaine; his heirs were vicomtes (viscounts) until the mid-11th century.
In the 11th century, the city returned by marriage to the La Rochefoucauld family. The title of Vicomte de Châtellerault passed later to the house of Lusignan and, from the thirteenth century, to the house of Harcourt.
During the Hundred Years War, in 1370, the city was attacked and looted by the Bretons of Bertrand Du Guesclin. In March 1429, Joan of Arc passed through Châtellerault on her way from Chinon to Poitiers

In 1482, following the death of Charles V of Anjou, the viscounty of Châtellerault was attached to the royal domain. In 1487, Charles VII offered the viscounty to Jean d'Armagnac. In 1505, Anne of France, Duchess of Bourbon, took possession of it. In 1514, François I raised the viscounty to the rank of duchy in favor of François de Bourbon. In 1549, Henry II ceded the duchy to the Scottish Earl James Hamilton, which he entrusted to his son, the Earl of Arran, who favored Protestantism there. In 1609, the great Châtellerault bridge, the current Henri-IV bridge, was completed and opened to traffic. In 1630, the city was hit by an epidemic of the Black Death. In 1661, during the crisis of the Advent, caused by bad harvests, the famine provoked a very harsh rebellion in Châtellerault. Under Louis XV, the Blossac walks were created in the city, named after the intendant of Poitou who was the promoter.

In 1801, the city was enlarged by the annexation of Pouthumé with the former commune of Antoigné. In the 1960s was built the district of Plaine d'Ozon to the south of the city and home to many families from North Africa (Algeria, Morocco). In 1966, three hamlets of the commune of Naintré (Renardières, Brelandière, Montée Rouge) i.e. 3,200 inhabitants, were attached to the city of Châtellerault. These latter were then quickly urbanized. In 1972, the commune of Targé was also attached to the city.

Olivier Touzeau, 5 February 2022

Flag of Châtellerault

The current flag of Châtellerault is white with logo (photo, 2021; photo, 2010).

Olivier Touzeau, 5 February 2022

Former flag of Châtellerault

Former flag of Châtellerault - Image by Olivier Touzeau, 5 February 2022

According to Franciae Vexilla [frv], n°2/48, june 1996, in an article by Jean Renault, the former flag of Châtellerault was made up of two horizontal stripes of green and yellow with the town's coat of arms in the centre. The colors of the flag come from the city logo.
The arms are blazoned Argent, a lion Gules, a border Sable charged with bezants (reported by Pascal Vagnat, source: emblemes.free.fr website).

Olivier Touzeau, 5 February 2022