Mouchamps is a former fortified town. The church is located in the former chapel of the medieval castle. Elements of Renaissance architecture have also been preserved in the old houses in the town centre and the villages of Mouchamps.
Renting a holiday apartment in Mouchamps can be part of your personal travel plans.
History
The Parc-Soubise estate in the municipality of Mouchamps was initially a fief of the Lusignan family and subsequently became the main residence of the Parthenay family in Bas-Poitou. It contains evidence of Gallo-Roman settlement; excavations carried out there at the end of the 19th century uncovered Gallo-Roman graves.
The graves of Georges Clemenceau, known as “the Tiger” and buried in 1929, and his father Benjamin, who was buried in 1897, are located in the Bois du Colombier. A Minerva stele created by the sculptor Sicard and erected by Clemenceau stands above the two graves.
Landscape
Mouchamps is situated on a rocky hill above the Petit Lay River. Among the historic structures associated with the river is the very old La Chaussée weir. It was built to divert the course of the Petit Lay and thus supply the town’s water mill.
La Chaussée was once used for a long time as a washing place by the town’s washerwomen.
Culture
At the Colombier, an interactive terminal provides information about the Clemenceau family’s connections with Mouchamps and the symbols on his grave. A leaflet for discovering Mouchamps’ heritage is available at the town hall and at the reception desks of the tourist offices.
Crafts
Poterie Hélène Bénéteau in Mouchamps offers workshop visits with demonstrations by reservation. Pottery classes are held there on Thursday mornings from mid-July to the end of August at 10:30 a.m. They last 1.5 hours, require at least five participants and have a fixed price of 18 euros. The object made by participants can be taken home.
