Nestled in the Poitou Charentes region of west central France, the town of Chatellerault lies on the banks of the Vienne River northeast of Poitiers on the main road from Bordeaux to Paris. The name “Chatellerault” is derived from an impressive castle located here that was built in the 12th century by the second viscount Airaud.

Also of note, the Henri IV Bridge, built in the 15th century, spans the Vienne River, while the Maison des Sybilles dates back to the 16th century and is where the famous philosopher Descartes once spent his childhood. Today, the house has been turned into a museum that is devoted to his life.

In the 1800s and through the first half of the 1900s, Chatellerault was a major arms manufacturing centre for the French government. Today, the Manufacture d’armes de Chatellerault is used as central repository for all of the French military archives that are connected to matters of armament, but only older declassified material is available upon written request.