Sammarçolles

For centuries, the miller’s footsteps set the rhythm of life in the watermills. The footsteps of Jean de la Jaille’s horse echo forever within the castle walls. The name “Sammartholia” first appeared in the 12th century: the apostle Saint Martial is thought to be the originator of the name. Renaissance architects, given over to their desire for elegance, did not hesitate to raze certain castles to the ground to make way for comfortable buildings. The château de la Grande Jaille (private site), listed as a Historic Monument since 1928, is a Renaissance-style château with a moat and a pavilion-porch with decorative watchtowers. The small Romanesque chapel at Crué, dedicated to St Radegonde, is remarkable for its bell tower-wall or “bretèche”. It consists of a central elevation and a triangular point pierced by 2 windows (one of which contains the single bell).