Sancerre () is a medieval hilltop town (ville) and commune in the

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female autonomy in a male-dominated industr ...

department,

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

overlooking the river

Loire The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhôn ...

. It is noted for its wine.

History

Located in the area of

Gaul Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only durin ...

settled by the powerful Celtic (Gaule Celtique) tribe, the Bituriges, or the "Kings of the World", and after their defeat at

Bourges Bourges () is a commune in central France on the river Yèvre. It is the capital of the department of Cher, and also was the capital city of the former province of Berry. History The name of the commune derives either from the Bituriges, ...

(Avaricum), part of Roman Aquitania. Some evidence points to the existence of an early hillside Roman temple dedicated to Julius Caesar; located on the

Roman road Roman roads ( la, viae Romanae ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, and were built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman R ...

(Gordaine) from

to the river town of Gordona (Castle-Gordon), now Saint Thibault and Saint Satur. Name possibly derived from "Sacred to Caesar" and later Christianized to "Saint-Cere". During the

Carolingian The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippi ...

period there was a small village on the hillside, clustered around the Saint Romble Church. An Augustinian abbey was founded in Saint Satur in 1034. A natural fortress 312 meters in height, Sancerre is a former feudal possession of the Counts of Champagne (1152) in the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...

Berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, rasp ...

. They built a chateau on the hill and ramparts to protect the city. The chateau had six towers including the Tower of the Strongholds (Tour des Fiefs) and the Tower of Saint George. In times of war, a fire was lit on the top of the Saint George tower that could be seen for around. The Customs of Lorris (1155), a charter granted by Stephen I ( Étienne I ) to the merchants of Sancerre was considered one of the most progressive in the Capetian kingdom. In 1184, the Count of Sancerre led a band of rebels called the Brabançons against the king. They were defeated by the Confrères de la Paix, the Confraternity of Peace, a group charged with keeping order in the kingdom. In 1190, Stephen I was among the first feudal lords to abolish serfdom. The fortified city repelled the English forces twice during the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantag ...

but much of the surrounding area, including the Augustinian Abbey in Saint Satur and Saint Romble, were destroyed by the forces of Edward, the Black Prince. Sancerre was the seat of

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the corona ...

's great comrade-in-arms,

Jean V de Bueil Jean V de Bueil (after 17 August 1405 and before 18 August 1406 - 1478), called ''le Fléau des Anglais'' "plague of the English", count of Sancerre, viscount of Carentan, lord of Montrésor, Château-en-Anjou, Saint-Calais, Vaujours, Ussé an ...

. Sancerre was also the site of the infamous siege of Sancerre (1572–1573) during the Wars of Religion where the

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Bez ...

population held out for nearly eight months against the Catholic forces of the king. The siege was one of the last times in European history where

sling sling may refer to: Places *Sling, Anglesey, Wales *Sling, Gloucestershire, England, a small village in the Forest of Dean People with the name * Otto Šling (1912–1952), repressed Czech communist functionary Arts, entertainment, and media * ...

s (

trebuchet A trebuchet (french: trébuchet) is a type of catapult that uses a long arm to throw a projectile. It was a common powerful siege engine until the advent of gunpowder. The design of a trebuchet allows it to launch projectiles of greater weig ...

), the "Arquebuses of Sancerre", were used in warfare. The siege was documented by a Protestant minister who survived the battle, Jean de Léry, in ''The Memorable History of the Siege of Sancerre''. In 1621 much of the feudal chateau and city walls were destroyed by orders of the king to prevent further resistance. In 1637 the county was sold by Rene de Bueil to the Prince of Condé,

Henry II of Bourbon Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) *Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal ...

, the governor of Berry. The area suffered economically from the mass exodus of Protestant merchants, tradesmen and others during the 17th century, especially after the revocation of the

Edict of Nantes The Edict of Nantes () was signed in April 1598 by King Henry IV and granted the Calvinist Protestants of France, also known as Huguenots, substantial rights in the nation, which was in essence completely Catholic. In the edict, Henry aim ...

(1685). During the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

, Sancerre was the site of a royalist rebellion led by Louis-Edmond de Phelippeaux – small "Vendee Sancerroise". Sancerre was designated the seat of government for the district during the First Republic, but in 1926 the sous-préfecture and other administrative services were transferred to

. Count

Jean-Pierre de Montalivet Jean-Pierre Bachasson, Seigneur and 1st Comte de Montalivet (Neunkirch, now part of Sarreguemines, Moselle, 5 July 1766 – Château de Lagrange,Thauvenay, Minister of the Interior under Napoleon, was a large landowner in Sancerre during the 19th century. Area transportation was improved by the construction of a suspension bridge at Saint Thibault (1834), the Lateral Canal of the Loire (1838) and later, the Bourges-Sancerre railroad line (1885). A mansion was built on the ruins of the original Chateau de Sancerre in 1874 by Mlle de Crussol d' Uzès in the style of

Louis XII Louis XII (27 June 14621 January 1515), was List of French monarchs, King of France from 1498 to 1515 and King of Naples from 1501 to 1504. The son of Charles, Duke of Orléans, and Maria of Cleves, he succeeded his 2nd cousin once removed and b ...

. In 1919, the mansion and part of the vineyards were purchased by Louis-Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle, the liqueur manufacturer. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, Sancerre was the site of a military hospital. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, Sancerre was a regional command center for the

French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

. "Operation Spencer” in 1944 was to prevent the Germans from crossing the river

between

Gien Gien () is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France. Gien is on the river Loire, from Orléans. Gien station has rail connections to Montargis, Nevers and Paris. The town was bought for the royal domain by Philip II of Fra ...

and

Nevers Nevers ( , ; la, Noviodunum, later ''Nevirnum'' and ''Nebirnum'') is the prefecture of the Nièvre department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in central France. It was the principal city of the former province of Nivernais. It is ...

and reinforcing troops in

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period o ...

. The

and

Free French Forces __NOTOC__ The French Liberation Army (french: Armée française de la Libération or AFL) was the reunified French Army that arose from the merging of the Armée d'Afrique with the prior Free French Forces (french: Forces françaises libres, la ...

blew up the bridge at Sancerre and sabotaged communication, road, canal and railway lines. On June 25, 1944, German troops based in Cosne-sur-Loire set fire to the village of Thauvenay in reprisal for an ambush of the

, burning 23 houses, executing six men, a 7-year-old boy and taking eleven people hostage. Among the hostages was Paul de Lavenne de Choulot, comte de Chabaud la Tour, owner of Chateau de Thauvenay. Taken to

, Paul de Choulot pleaded to Alfred Stanke, the "Franciscan of Bourges," a German monk and medical orderly who helped save hundreds during World War II, to spare the rest of the commune.

Economy

Known principally for the production of red wine from the

Pinot noir Pinot Noir () is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French language, French words for ''pine'' and ''black.' ...

grape until the 20th century, the Sancerre area was devastated by

phylloxera Grape phylloxera is an insect pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America. Grape phylloxera (''Daktulosphaira vitifoliae'' (Fitch 1855) belong to the family Phylloxeridae, within the order Hemiptera, ...

in the late 19th century. The vineyards were replanted in

Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety that originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French words ''sauvage'' ("wild") and ''blanc'' ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in ...

(also see

Sancerre (wine) Sancerre is a French wine Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) for wine produced in the area of Sancerre in the eastern part of the Loire valley, southeast of Orléans. Almost all of the appellation lies on the left bank of the Loire, opp ...

). In 1936 Sancerre white was given AOC ( INAO) status; reds were classified in 1959. The area now produces white, red and rose wine. The following communes fall inside the "Sancerre" and "Sancerre-Loire Valley" controlled label of origin area: Bannay,

Bué Bué () is a commune in the Cher department, located in the Centre-Val de Loire region, France. Geography A winegrowing and farming village situated northeast of Bourges at the junction of the D85 with the D955 and D923 roads. It is one of ...

Crézancy-en-Sancerre Crézancy-en-Sancerre () is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France. Geography A farming and winegrowing village situated some northeast of Bourges at the junction of the D22 with the D86 roads. The commune ...

Menetou-Râtel Menetou-Râtel is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France. Geography A winegrowing and farming area comprising the village and several hamlets situated some northeast of Bourges, at the junction of the D85, D ...

, Ménétréol-sous-Sancerre, Montigny, Saint-Satur, Sainte-Gemme-en-Sancerrois, Sancerre,

Sury-en-Vaux Sury-en-Vaux () is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France. Geography An area of vineyards and farming comprising the village and several hamlets situated in the valley of the river Belaine, about northeast o ...

, Thauvenay,

Veaugues Veaugues () is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France. Geography An area of winegrowing, forestry and farming comprising the village and a couple of hamlets situated on the banks of the small Planche-Goddard ...

Verdigny Verdigny () is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France. Geography An area of winegrowing and farming comprising two villages and a couple of hamlets situated about northeast of Bourges at the junction of ...

Vinon Vinon () is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France. Geography An area of winegrowing and farming comprising the village and several hamlets situated in the valley of the Planche-Godard river, about northea ...

. The area is also noted for its goat cheese. The nearby village of Chavignol, which gave its name to the cheese – Crottin de Chavignol – is located on the territory of the commune.

Population

Sights

Of architectural significance: Belfry of St. Jean, a 16th-century bell tower built by the prosperous merchants of Sancerre; Tour des Fiefs (1390), the lone remaining tower of the feudal chateau; and the ruins of Saint Romble, a medieval church destroyed by the English. Jacques Coeur house: 15th-century house owned at one time by Jacques Coeur, financier and royal adviser to King Charles VII. Maison des Sancerre: Wine exposition located in 14th–16th-century house with tower. Hotel de la Thaumassière: 17th-century house built by César Thaumassière, doctor of Henry II of Bourbon. The city is a cobweb of twisted streets with many buildings surviving from the Middle Ages.

International relations

Sancerre is twinned with * Eccleshall in Staffordshire,

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

Personalities

* Stephen I of Sancerre (Étienne I), Count of Sancerre (1133–1191) Crusader; died at the siege of Acre. * Etienne II of Sancerre, Count of Sancerre (1252–1306) Grand Bouteiller of France * Louis II de Sancerre, Count of Sancerre (d. August 26, 1346) One of the few French nobles to penetrate the English front line at the

Battle of Crécy The Battle of Crécy took place on 26 August 1346 in northern France between a French army commanded by King PhilipVI and an English army led by King EdwardIII. The French attacked the English while they were traversing northern France du ...

. Killed in the battle. *

Louis de Sancerre Louis de Sancerre (1341 or 1342 – 6 February 1402; aged 60-61) was a Marshal of France and Constable of France during the Hundred Years' War. Early life Sancerre was born as the second son of count Louis II de Sancerre and Béatrix de R ...

Marshal of France Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished ( ...

Constable of France The Constable of France (french: Connétable de France, from Latin for 'count of the stables') was lieutenant to the King of France, the first of the original five Great Officers of the Crown (along with seneschal, chamberlain, butler, and ch ...

(1342–1402) Buried in Saint Denis Basilica near King

Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infant ...

. * Stephen of Sancerre, Lord of Vailly (d. 1390 in Tunis) Died fighting the Moors under the command of Louis II de Bourbon, Duke of Bourbon (1337–1410). *

, Admiral of France (1406–1477) The ''Plague of the English'' and author of ''Le Jouvencel''. * Jean de Léry, Protestant minister and author, ''History of a Voyage to the Land of Brazil'', 1578 and ''The Memorable History of the Siege of Sancerre'', 1574. * Samuel Bernard, comte de Coubert (1651–1739) Protestant Financier * Count Louis of Sancerre, companion of explorer Sieur de la Salle, 1682. * Jean-Charles Perrinet d'Orval (1707–1782), pyrotechnician * Étienne MacDonald, Duke of

Taranto Taranto (, also ; ; nap, label=Tarantino dialect, Tarantino, Tarde; Latin: Tarentum; Old Italian: ''Tarento''; Ancient Greek: Τάρᾱς) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto, serving as an ...