Chemin de Saint Jacques - Le chemin de Saint Jacques : la voie de Tours

This is the central route between Chatellerault, Poitiers, Saintes and Paris.
The route enters La Vienne at Port de Piles and leads towards Chatellerault. This town is linked to pilgrimages with its church Saint Jacques, sanctified in 1066 (restored in the 19th century). This fine example of construction has one of the most touching representations of the apostle in wood, dating back from the 17th century and encrusted in shells. In addition, Chatellerault has a Saint Jacques street with wooden houses and a Cygne Saint Jacques road with a former Saint Jacques hostel. Hikers leave the town crossing the Vienne via the bridge Pont Henri IV, which was formerly a narrow wooden crossing. Then the trail leads to Cenon sur Vienne, Saint Georges les Baillargeaux, Buxerolles to arrive in Poitiers, the town of art and history. In the Middle Ages, Poitiers had more than 15 host establishments and a good number of hostels in the name of Saint Jacques. The way led mainly to Saint Hilaire where a basilica chapel was erected in the 11th century to welcome groups. Today the building is registered as an Unesco world heritage site along the Saint Jacques route.
Not forgetting of course the abbey Notre Dame La Grande, one of the main pieces of roman architecture. The next stop is Saint Benoit and Ligugé which have the oldest Gaul abbey, founded by Saint Martin in the 4th century. Nowadays there are a little more than 25 monks which have chosen to live in the abbey following the the Rule enacted by Saint Benoit in
the 6th century. When leaving Ligugé, one is directed towards Coulombiers, Lusignan which was an unprecedented site to be visited during the Middle Ages.situated here were the guest houses of the powerful lords of Lusignan, descendants according to the Melusine legend who became kings of Jerusalem, Cyprus and Armenia.
The itinerary leaves the department of La Vienne to enter Deux Sèvres.

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Tel.: 05 49 37 48 48
Email: cdt@tourisme-vienne.com
Website: http://www.compostelle-vienne.org

Type : Chemins de pèlerinage

Signposting : Paths towards Saint Jacques de Compostelle The way to Tours ( from Tours to Miranbeau ) via the GR 655

Map: Topoguide édité par la Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre.
Disponible à la Maison du Tourisme, à Poitiers 05 49 37 48 48.

Price: 14,95 €

Difficulty: NC