Legend has it that Airvault was initially formed over 1000 years ago after an aristocratic lady fell in the river Thouet while crossing it. Close to drowning, she prayed and made a promise that if she were saved she would build a church on the riverbank. Hence Airvault was built and grew to have one of the largest Augustinian Abbeys in the Poitou region.
A large part of the Abbey, including the prison, ramparts and fermenting room still exists today and houses a museum providing a better idea of the local history.

The town’s church was built over the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries and combines Romanesque capitals and Gothic vaults. The vaults in the nave are of the Plantagenet-gothic style of the Angers region. Under the church are the old wells and a spring which feed an underground stream. In turn this feeds our own well.

In front of the façade of the church is the market hall, completed in the 19th century, which holds a market on Saturday mornings. The town comprises a combination of timber framed houses with narrow cobbled streets, the more modern dressed stone and rendered grand houses and other houses typical of the region. The river Thouet runs past the outskirts of the town with a 12th century Romanesque bridge spanning it.

It is known that the Arouet family lived in the area, and so rumoured that the French writer, François-Marie Arouet also lived here and that by changing the syllables around in Airvault he took his nom de plume by which he is better known, Voltaire. Although some scholars dispute this we like the story and hence the name of the bed and breakfast.
The town holds a world music festival at the start of July each year, with a wide variety of music from around the world. The Bastille Day celebrations on 14th July culminate in one of the best musical fireworks displays we have seen, and it’s free! There is also a 3 day Aboriginal festival in July which combines music from Australia, Asia and Africa.
For more details see the local tourist office website. www.tourisme-airvaudais.fr

The local villages of St Generoux and St Loup-sur-Thouet are both picturesque with plenty of history, some dating back to the 9th century. The chateau in St Loup even held the French King John the Good prisoner after the battle of Poitiers in 1356. The chateau although privately owned is open to the public. www.chateaudesaint-loup.com
Slightly further afield are the towns of Thouars, Parthenay and Bressuire, each of them approximately 25km away. All have medieval town centres with castles and further Romanesque churches. Each of these towns hold various festivals including a Blues festival in Thouars and a Jazz festival in Parthenay. Bressuire has a venue which holds various events with artists from the French equivalent of X-factor’s finalists through to the artist formerly known as tennis player Yannick Noah, who is very big over here.
The area boasts one of the best permanent collections of modern art, set in the grand surroundings of the Chateau d’Oiron. This exhibition combines a 15th, 16th and 17th century location with unmanned exhibits which stimulate the eyes, ears and touch in an environment which allows you to fully appreciate the artists' ideas. A great attraction even for those who wouldn’t usually visit art exhibitions! www.oiron.monuments-national.fr Wine tasting can also be tried in the village of Oiron.

Further afield but still within an hour are the many Chateaux of the Loire, for example Saumur, Azay-le-Rideau, Chinon . . . . . . together with the many vineyards.