Its name would be an alteration of forum (public meeting place). In 1981, at the Champ-Royal, excavations revealed the remains of an ancient vicus (small town) extending over three hectares with villas, thermal baths, porticos and forum. Cited for the first time in 1100, streamer is protected by its fortress, advanced citadel of the castle Niort erected by the Count of Poitou to delay the progress of attackers coming from the south. In 1494, the chatelain is Guy Poussard, advisor to the king, whose daughter Anne became the first mistress of the Count of Angoulême, the future François 1st who would have had him build a pleasure manor on the site of the castle. Part of the towers was used to build a mansion in the 19th century. Today, all that remains of the castle are ruins.
What to see in Fors?
01. The Notre-Dame church
The 12th century building. has the bossBourg-Dieu Abbey. Partly destroyed during religious wars, worship is then celebrated in the chaplaincy chapel for over 200 years. In poor condition in the XNUMXth century, it is restores © thanks to a gift of Marie-Thérèse of France, daughter of Louis XVI. In 1930, a fresco representing children and a bishop is discovered under the whitewash of the walls.
02. The old cheese factory
From the time of splendor of the vine and following the construction of the Niort-Saintes railway, large industrial buildings are emerging in the heart of the village. A distilleries, born in the 1890s, makes a liqueur called Cistercian. The premises were bought in the 1950s by the Lestel cheese company, then taken up by the Jean Reybier cheese shop and becomes a depot for the south of France until the 80s.
Other curiosities to see…
- The communal bread oven located square de la Forge (former common oven restored by the Fors Passion association and inaugurated in 2018)
- The La Pétousse arboretum and the municipal logo (coat of arms of an old family, the Maboul, lords, then marquis of Fors from the 17th to the 18th century).
