Le Tâtre can be explored through a range of themes: the former chapel of a Templar commandery, the Paul-Nozal memorial created by Hector Guimard, a former brickworks and the Galope Chopine Greenway. This range brings together religious history, remembrance, craft production and outdoor recreation. If you choose a destination based on its specific highlights, the cultural sites and the route can offer different reasons to stay.

Templar heritage and Guimard’s memorial

The parish church of Saint-Jean was once the chapel of a Templar commandery. A commandery was a settlement of the Templar Order; the church thus connects Le Tâtre with religious history. The Monument commémoratif à Paul Nozal offers a different point of remembrance. Following Paul Nozal’s accidental death on 13 July 1903, the architect Hector Guimard created the memorial. It is located in Le Tâtre at Les Bitauds, on the edge of the RN10. It is Guimard’s only architectural work in Nouvelle-Aquitaine and was listed as a historic monument by decree dated 9 April 2021. The dates serve different purposes: 13 July 1903 is the date of Nozal’s accidental death, while 9 April 2021 is the date of the listing.

The former Les Tuileries brickworks

The former Les Tuileries brickworks, designed for educational purposes, is located at Chez Grelier in Le Tâtre, near a greenway. It shows how bricks were made first by hand and then using mechanised methods. This sequence highlights the transformation of production. The site is therefore about more than a former brickworks: it also presents two different brickmaking methods. For visitors interested in crafts and the history of technology, it offers a different perspective on local history from Templar heritage or the memorial to Paul Nozal.

Notre-Dame du Deffend

A pilgrimage to Notre-Dame du Deffend has been documented since at least 1525. The statue of Notre-Dame du Deffend is a very old polychrome wooden statue, though its exact date remains uncertain. Polychrome means decorated in several colours and describes the statue’s finish here, not its age. The pilgrimage tradition and the wooden image thus offer different historical points of reference: the pilgrimage has been documented since at least 1525, while the statue cannot be dated precisely.

The Galope Chopine Greenway

For outdoor recreation, the Galope Chopine Greenway offers a different focus from the cultural sites. From Le Tâtre, the route covers 21.5 km; it is suitable for walking, riding scooters, horse riding and cycling, and is accessible to people with reduced mobility. The access point in Le Tâtre is by the cemetery at La Virée. Along the route, you can discover the landscapes of southern Charente, with their valleys and vineyards. The range of activities makes the route interesting not only for cyclists; walking, riding scooters and horse riding are also among the intended uses.

Place names for orientation

Les Bitauds is the location of the Paul-Nozal memorial on the edge of the RN10, Chez Grelier is where Les Tuileries is located, and La Virée is the site of the cemetery where the greenway access point is. These place names help distinguish the cultural sites from the route entrance when deciding which interests to prioritise during a stay in Le Tâtre.

Discover more destinations: Bernac, Saint-Romain, Chalais, Mainxe, Touvre, Benest, Marillac-Le-Franc, Anais.

For the broader travel overview: Charente.