On this route, you will discover:

·      The Louis-de-St-Gelais square and panoramic balcony

·      A 12th century church, the oldest parts of which are an example of Roman art.  Inside, the “ugly monkey”, the shield of the Lusignans and the image of Melusine.

·      A temple; completed in the middle of the 14th century, this is the only circular temple in the Poitou

·      A renaissance chateau; a private property built in the early 16th century; the plate and cup on top of the gable suggest that a reformed church tradition was followed here.

·      The meadow of the commune of Futaie; formerly part of the château’s grounds, the meadow is currently used for its walking paths and is the site of country parties.

·       The Fuye washhouse; the name evokes a dovecote which is no longer there; the Convent opposite was a Catholic school until the beginning of the 20th century.

·      The washhouse and bridge of the Petite Isle

·      The dovecote of the Picaudière; the high arches and dove-holes decorating the façade of this private home offer it a character all its own

·      The Vertier fountain; the outflow of an underground pool, this fountain was once a precious water source.   The excavated ruins are evidence of use in the gallo-roman period.

·      The Melusine fountain; created by Patrick Chappet in 2009, the fountain evokes the legend of Melusine and the historical links of Saint-Gelais to the lords of Lusignan (the spot is described in a series of signs on site and a tourist guide is available at the Mairie and from local businesses)

Saint-Gelais takes its name from Gelasius the bishop of Poitiers in the 4th century to whom Hugues VII dedicated a priory in 1109.

9 bronze disks marking the heritage trail were cast in 2009 to commemorate the 900th anniversary of Saint-Gelais.

Start at the Louis-de-Saint-Gelais square which has a pretty panoramic view of the Sèvre valley.

Take the rue des Herpens toward the church.  

Start the walk down to the rue Cuiille-Saint-Jacques and turn immediately on the rue Charles-Magnon to arrive at the circular temple and then the renaissance château.

Follow the rue Raouil-Guignard toward Echiré for 400 m and then descend to the right on the chemin des Trimardières which meets up with the Sèvre river.

Follow the Sèvre river in the Futaie meadow.  When you reach the bridge, carry on 100m further before climbing back up to the road around the barn.

Take the rue de Chevreux and cross the bridges to arrive at the Fuye washhouse and the ancient convent.

Cross the D8 and head toward Quéroy.  Then, after 150m, take the 2nd left and, after another 30m, turn upward to the right.

The chemin des Lucs extends for 700m and offers a panoramic view of the village and the valley.  

Turn right twice and follow the rue de la Roulerie downward.  

In 400m take the straight narrow path on the left crossing the Bourbias meadow to reach the footbridge of the Petite Isle and its washhouse.

Carry on and then turn right on the rue des Isles and then left on the rue François-Rouget (possible alternative route:  5.4 km heritage trail).

At the top of the road, continue on the rue de Bourbios for 200m and turn right at the impasse des Charles.  

After the family cemetery, take a left on the chemin de Chie-Loup and then left again on the chemin de la Mare aux Loups; continue on the rue des plantes until the D107.

Cross the D107 and climb slightly for 800m until you reach the Vertier fountain.

Climb another 150 m and then turn sharply to the right.  At the next crossing, turn right and then immediately left to follow the Beaux-à-Voir hedge for 400m.  Follow the path downward again to the right toward the farm buildings.

Cross the D107 again and continue across from the rue du Prieuré to reach the Agrippa d’Aubigné place.  Cross the parking lot toward the school and arrive on the left at the Mélusine fountain. 

To return to the starting point, follow the rue du State downward, turn right on the rue des Herpens at the corner of the Café des Sports and carry on to the square.  

At the top of the rue François Rouget, continue straight for 30m and then turn right on the rue de la Picoudière.   Take a look at the dove-cote at number 87.  Continue along the stadium.  Cross the school yard to arrive at the Mélusine fountain.