Pons, Medieval fortified town in Charente-Maritime, France
Pons is a commune on a rocky hill above the Seugne valley in Charente-Maritime department, west of Bordeaux. The rectangular keep rises over the old core of the settlement and offers a wide view across surrounding fields and woodland.
The present keep was built in the late twelfth century after King Richard the Lionheart destroyed the earlier structure. During the Middle Ages, the settlement grew into an important stop for pilgrims traveling to Santiago de Compostela.
The town takes its name from the Latin word for bridge, recalling the old crossing of the Seugne that travelers used for centuries. The quarter around the church still shows the layout of a medieval market center, with narrow lanes and houses built from pale limestone.
The town center sits on the hilltop and can be reached on foot from parking areas near the riverbank, following narrow lanes uphill. Visiting the keep and old quarters requires sturdy shoes because of uneven cobblestones.
The medieval hospital site holds a medicinal plant garden with more than one hundred species arranged by their healing uses. UNESCO recognized the former hospital as part of the pilgrimage route to Santiago, preserving the memory of the many travelers who found shelter here.
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