Poitiers
History-steeped Poitiers was founded by the Pictones, a Gaulish tribe, and rose to prominence as the former capital of Poitou. A pivotal turning point came in AD 732, when somewhere near Poitiers (the exact site is not known) the cavalry of Charles Martel defeated the Muslim forces of Abd ar-Rahman, governor of Córdoba, thus ending Muslim attempts to conquer France. Until the Revolution, this sublimely beautiful city was known as the 'town of 100 bell towers'; the remarkable Romanesque churches that remain today are in part a legacy of Eleanor of Aquitaine's financial support.
Robert Harding World Imagery/Getty Images
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Top places to visit in Poitiers
Discover the best attractions in Poitiers from must-see sights to unexpected hidden gems.
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Attraction in PoitiersÉglise Notre-Dame-la-Grande - Attraction in PoitiersPalais de Justice
- Attraction in PoitiersBaptistère St-Jean
- Attraction in PoitiersCathédrale St-Pierre
- Attraction in PoitiersÉglise St-Hilaire le Grand
- Attraction in PoitiersMusée Ste-Croix
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