Saintes is a town and commune in France, in the Charente-Maritime département, of which it is a sous-préfecture. Population (1999): 25,595. The commune (in French: commune, word appeared in the 12th century, from Medieval Latin communia, gathering of people sharing a common life, from Latin communis, things held in common) is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. ... Charente-Maritime is a département on the west coast of France named after the Charente River. ... The départements (or departments) are administrative units of France, roughly analogous to British counties. ... Subprefecture is an administrative level that is below prefecture or province. ...

History

In Roman times, the town was called Mediolanum Santonum. It was founded in about 20 BC. Mediolanum Santonum was a Roman town of Western Gaul, now Saintes. ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC - 20s BC - 10s BC 0s 10s 20s 30s Years: 25 BC 24 BC 23 BC 22 BC 21 BC 20 BC 19 BC 18 BC 17 BC 16 BC 15...

Saintes was the capital of the former province of Saintonge. The Kingdom of France was organized into provinces until March 4, 1790, when the establishment of the département system superseded provinces. ... Saintonge is a small region on the atlantic coast of France in the region of Poitou-Charentes (17- Charente-Maritime). ...

Geography

Saintes is located on the banks of the Charente River. Charente is a river in western Atlantic Ocean. ...

Sights

The Arch of Germanicus, a triumphal arch, was built at the entrance to a bridge where the main Roman road crossed the Charente River. The bridge was demolished in 1843, but the Arch was saved by Prosper Mérimée and rebuilt at its present location on the bank of the river. Jump to: navigation, search Arc de Triomphe, Paris A triumphal arch is a structure in the shape of a monumental archway, usually built to celebrate a victory in war. ... Jump to: navigation, search A Roman road in Pompeii The Romans, for military, commercial and political reasons, became adept at constructing roads, which they called viae (plural of singular via). ... 1843 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Prosper Mérimée Prosper Mérimée (September 28, 1803–September 23, 1870) was a French dramatist, historian, archaeologist, and short story writer. ...

Miscellaneous

Saintes is twinned with:

• Nivelles, Belgium
• Timbuktu, Mali
• Vladimir, Russia
• Salisbury, England, United Kingdom
• Cuevas del Almanzora, Spain
• Xanten, Germany
• West University, Texas

Nivelles is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. ... Timbuktu or Timbuctu (Koyra Chiini: Tumbutu, French: Tombouctou) is a city populated by the Songhay, Tuareg, Fulani, and Moorish people in the West African country of Mali. ... Vladimir (Влади́мир) is a city in Russia, administrative center of Vladimir Oblast. ... Salisbury Cathedral from the Cathedral Yard High Street Market Great West Front of Salisbury Cathedral Salisbury (pronounced Solsbree or Sauls-bree) is a small cathedral city in Wiltshire, England. ... Jump to: navigation, search Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population - Total (mid-2004) - Density Ranked 1st UK... Jump to: navigation, search Xanten is a town in the North Rhine-Westphalia state of Germany, located in the district of Wesel. ... West University Place, often called West University, or West U in short, is a city located in Harris County, Texas. ... ...

External link

• Saintes History: Urban Development