Thenon
Encyclopedia
Thenon is a commune
in the Dordogne
department in Aquitaine
in southwestern France
.
was almost entirely destroyed as an act of retribution, after two German soldiers were captured by French partisans.
The town's recent history is strongly linked to the road network. The northern edge of Thenon is set on a prominent ridge, which is also the route of the D6089 (formerly N89), which was the main E-W road between the towns of Brive la Gaillarde (40 km east) and Périgueux
(33 km west). The road continues to Bordeaux on the west coast of France. For many years, Thenon was blighted by this road, which was a main haulage and tourist route and very frequently congested. Heavy road traffic nonetheless brought stopovers and tourists, retail trade, demand for accommodation, and restaurants. But in the mid 2000s the east-west A89/E70 toll road (la Transeuropéenne
) was opened, passing north of Thenon and funnelling the major traffic flow away from the town. Thenon was not given an exit (sortie) close by, and thus it is now bypassed. Its small rail station is several kilometers from the town centre in countryside to the north, and is not heavily patronised.
The high street of Thenon (Av. de la 4eme République) passes north-south and is the scene of a weekly market and some shops. To the southern end is the cultural heart, the Place Pasteur with a church, older buildings (some medieval), marketplace (shown here) and a small château dating from the 12th century (captured briefly by the English in 1439, retaken by Charles II's troops). Only part of the castle remains. Over the last 25 years the main street has hosted at least three supermarkets, a grocer, butcher, hardware store, 2 boulangeries and 2 chemists. However with the reduction in traffic on the D6089, the High Street has 'died' and most retail outlets have closed except the boulangeries and chemists. A medium sized supermarket on the D6089 west of town is now the main retail store, and local residents feel much has been lost. In addition, some commercial activity has been lost because the 90s/2000s boom in French second-homes, from which this region benefited through high property prices and more consumers and tax income, has now subsided.
The region has a strong farming heritage, but little industrial activity or service occupations (there is a large paper mill east at Le Lardin). With poor soils, walnut trees, figs and sheep are common, with few vineyards and cereals. Tertiary sector jobs are largely found in Périgueux
35 km away, or in the slightly larger towns like Montignac
on the Vézère
River, 14 km to the south east (the nearest town to the Lascaux
caves). The beautiful countryside around the town is steep and rolling, with farms interspersed with woodlands, in which the local population continues to hunt enthusiastically for rabbits, wild boar and deer. Tourism still peaks in the summer months when the market is much more animated and the etang (lake) hosts swimming and a cafe.
The estate agent in the town centre advertises in both French and English, and there are a few English and Dutch summer homes and year round residents, mainly located outside the town in the surrounding villages. These migrants are attracted by the cheaper property prices compared to the Vézère and Dordogne villages to the south.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Dordogne
Dordogne
Dordogne is a départment in south-west France. The départment is located in the region of Aquitaine, between the Loire valley and the High Pyrénées named after the great river Dordogne that runs through it...
department in Aquitaine
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
in southwestern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
History
The region was a strong centre of resistance against Germany in World War II. The nearby village of Rouffignac-Saint-Cernin-de-ReilhacRouffignac-Saint-Cernin-de-Reilhac
Rouffignac-Saint-Cernin-de-Reilhac is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-History:The town has few historic buildings as it was destroyed by the Germans in March 1944, the only remaining buildings being the church and the house adjacent...
was almost entirely destroyed as an act of retribution, after two German soldiers were captured by French partisans.
The town's recent history is strongly linked to the road network. The northern edge of Thenon is set on a prominent ridge, which is also the route of the D6089 (formerly N89), which was the main E-W road between the towns of Brive la Gaillarde (40 km east) and Périgueux
Périgueux
Périgueux is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Périgueux is the prefecture of the department and the capital of the region...
(33 km west). The road continues to Bordeaux on the west coast of France. For many years, Thenon was blighted by this road, which was a main haulage and tourist route and very frequently congested. Heavy road traffic nonetheless brought stopovers and tourists, retail trade, demand for accommodation, and restaurants. But in the mid 2000s the east-west A89/E70 toll road (la Transeuropéenne
A89 autoroute
The A89 autoroute is a motorway in central France. It is known as the La Transeuropéenne. It will connect Lyon with Bordeaux.-Completed Sections:* Antenne de Balbigny* Combronde-Saint-Julien-Puy-Lavèze-Ussel-Tulle-Saint-Germain-les-Vergnes...
) was opened, passing north of Thenon and funnelling the major traffic flow away from the town. Thenon was not given an exit (sortie) close by, and thus it is now bypassed. Its small rail station is several kilometers from the town centre in countryside to the north, and is not heavily patronised.
The high street of Thenon (Av. de la 4eme République) passes north-south and is the scene of a weekly market and some shops. To the southern end is the cultural heart, the Place Pasteur with a church, older buildings (some medieval), marketplace (shown here) and a small château dating from the 12th century (captured briefly by the English in 1439, retaken by Charles II's troops). Only part of the castle remains. Over the last 25 years the main street has hosted at least three supermarkets, a grocer, butcher, hardware store, 2 boulangeries and 2 chemists. However with the reduction in traffic on the D6089, the High Street has 'died' and most retail outlets have closed except the boulangeries and chemists. A medium sized supermarket on the D6089 west of town is now the main retail store, and local residents feel much has been lost. In addition, some commercial activity has been lost because the 90s/2000s boom in French second-homes, from which this region benefited through high property prices and more consumers and tax income, has now subsided.
The region has a strong farming heritage, but little industrial activity or service occupations (there is a large paper mill east at Le Lardin). With poor soils, walnut trees, figs and sheep are common, with few vineyards and cereals. Tertiary sector jobs are largely found in Périgueux
Périgueux
Périgueux is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Périgueux is the prefecture of the department and the capital of the region...
35 km away, or in the slightly larger towns like Montignac
Montignac
Montignac is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:* Montignac, in the Dordogne département* Montignac, in the Gironde département* Montignac, in the Hautes-Pyrénées département...
on the Vézère
Vézère
The Vézère is a 211 km long river in south-western France, right tributary of the Dordogne River. Its source is in the north-western Massif Central...
River, 14 km to the south east (the nearest town to the Lascaux
Lascaux
Lascaux is the setting of a complex of caves in southwestern France famous for its Paleolithic cave paintings. The original caves are located near the village of Montignac, in the department of Dordogne. They contain some of the best-known Upper Paleolithic art. These paintings are estimated to be...
caves). The beautiful countryside around the town is steep and rolling, with farms interspersed with woodlands, in which the local population continues to hunt enthusiastically for rabbits, wild boar and deer. Tourism still peaks in the summer months when the market is much more animated and the etang (lake) hosts swimming and a cafe.
The estate agent in the town centre advertises in both French and English, and there are a few English and Dutch summer homes and year round residents, mainly located outside the town in the surrounding villages. These migrants are attracted by the cheaper property prices compared to the Vézère and Dordogne villages to the south.