Обертер-сюр-Дронн: Одно из красивейших сел Франции

the commune in Charente

Aubeterre sur Dronne (obtɛʁ syʁ dʁɔn, literally Aubeterre on Dronne; or Aubaterra de Drona), commonly referred to as Aubeterre, is a commune in the Charente department in the Nouvelle Aquitaine region of Southwestern France. Located on the river Dronne, on the departmental border with Dordogne, Aubeterre sur Dronne has been officially listed as "One of the most beautiful villages in France" since 1993. It is well known for its Church of Saint Jean, an underground, Monolithic church.

Aubeterre sur Dronne is located in the extreme southeast of the Charente department some 42 km (26 mi) south of Angoulême, 14 km (8.6 mi) east of Chalais and 16 km (9.9 mi) west by northwest of Ribérac. The entire eastern border is the Dronne river which is the boundary between the Charente and Dordogne departments. Access to the commune is by the departmental road 2 (D2) from Saint Romain in the west which passes around the village and continues east to Saint Antoine Cumond. The departmental road 17 (D17) comes from Laprade in the north passing through the village and then forming the western border of the commune as it goes south to Bonnes. The village is on the northern border of the commune with the rest of the commune entirely farmland. The commune is part of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (The Most beautiful villages in France). The Dronne River forms the entire eastern border of the commune as it flows south to join the Isle at Coutras. In the south of the commune a branch off the Dronne passes through the commune and is called the Astier du Poulard. Aubeterre is on a hill in the concave bank of a meander of the River Dronne and forms a spur to the south. The highest point of the commune is at an altitude of 111m and is located on the plateau near the northern boundary. The lowest point is 38m located on the southern boundary next to the Dronne. The commune is spread between the valley of the Dronne and the top of the hill.

The name Aubeterre is derived from Albaterra which dates to 1004. Alba Terra means "White earth" which comes from the white chalk rock face overlooking the village. Aubeterre is located in the Occitan part of Charente and its name in Occitan is Aubaterra (Limousin dialect).

There has been a lordship of Aubeterre since the 11th century. The first known lord was Géraud at the beginning of that century. Aimeri d'Aubeterre was the name of a monk at the Abbey of Saint Cybard. On the hill on top of the white chalk cliffs the lords of Aubeterre erected a castle above the monolithic Church of Saint Jean in the 12th century. Aubeterre was then a Viscounty which passed by marriage to Pierre II from the house of Castillon. In 1246, the lord of Aubeterre recognized Hugh X of Lusignan the Count of Angoulême as his Suzerain. In 1278, Pierre V was stripped of the Viscounty of Aubeterre and paid homage to the Count of Angoulême. His youngest daughter married Pierre Raymond, Lord of Ozillac, who thus became Viscount of Aubeterre. The Raymond family retained Aubeterre throughout the 14th century and was on the side of the King of France against the English during the Hundred Years War. The King of England, Edward III, gave the Lord of Mussidan custody of the village, which he retained in 1360 at the Treaty of Brétigny which retro ceded Angoumois to England as well as Saintonge. Viscount Gardrad Raymond, the son of Pierre Raymond, swore allegiance to Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales on 29 September 1363. Between 1356 and 1412 the lordship of Aubeterre changed hands seven times between the English and the French. Gardrad Raymond, lord of Aubeterre, was a great recruiter and headed bands of Anglo Gascons before being engaged by Bertrand Du Guesclin to go to war with Spain in 1366. The granddaughter of Gardrad Raymond married Guy Bouchard, a knight, and Aubeterre remained in the hands of the Bouchard family for the next two centuries.

After the wars of religion were over the Viscount of Aubeterre, François Bouchard, embraced the Protestant party with ardour. The assassin of Henry I, Duke of Guise, Jean de Poltrot, was one of his pages. François Bouchard fled to Geneva with his wife and Aubeterre was taken by the Duke of Anjou. His son, David Bouchard, returned from exile in Switzerland. He was supported by the Viscount of Bourdeilles, Seneschal of Périgord, who gave him his daughter Renée in marriage which then brought him to the Catholic religion. The young Viscount of Aubeterre died in 1593 as a result of a wound received at the siege of Lisle in Perigord by Leaguers.