Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire

Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire
The church square in Barbezieux
Location of Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire
Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire
Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire
Coordinates: 45°28′25″N 0°09′15″W / 45.4736°N 0.1542°W / 45.4736; -0.1542
CountryFrance
RegionNouvelle-Aquitaine
DepartmentCharente
ArrondissementCognac
CantonCharente-Sud
Intercommunality4B Sud-Charente
Government
  Mayor (20202026) André Meuraillon
Area
1
26.55 km2 (10.25 sq mi)
Population
 (2022)
4,738
  Density180/km2 (460/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
16028 /16300
Elevation32–131 m (105–430 ft)
(avg. 79 m or 259 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire (French pronunciation: [baʁbəzjø sɛ̃t‿ilɛʁ]) is a commune in the Charente department, Southwestern France. The commune was formed in 1973 by the merger of the former communes Barbezieux and Saint-Hilaire. With 4,714 inhabitants (2019), it forms the most important town in Southern Charente.

Barbezieux is a fortified hill town on the historic route south west from Paris – Poitiers to Bordeaux – Spain, now served by the N 10, which bypasses Barbezieux. The town rises from narrow streets of unspoilt, typically Charentais buildings to the medieval chateau, which dominates the western approach.