Eleanor of Aquitaine's city and the Romanesque jewel of western France — where the painted façade of Notre-Dame-la-Grande compresses the entire programme of Christian salvation into 12th-century stone, Charles Martel defeated an Umayyad army in 732, and the Black Prince captured the French king at the Battle of Poitiers
Poitiers (90,000; metro 200,000) is the historical capital of the Vienne and former capital of the Duchy of Aquitaine — the city of Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122–1204), the most powerful woman in 12th-century Europe. Notre-Dame-la-Grande (11th–12th century) is the most elaborately decorated Romanesque church façade in France — its west front is a dense carved programme of Biblical scenes, apostles, prophets, and narrative cycles in a style that influenced Romanesque art across the Poitou region. The Baptistère Saint-Jean (4th century) is the oldest standing Christian building in France.
The Battle of Poitiers/Tours (732 CE), fought near Poitiers, was the furthest northward advance of an Umayyad army from the Iberian Peninsula — Charles Martel's Frankish forces defeated and killed the Umayyad governor, halting the northward expansion. Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122–1204), born in the Poitou, inherited the Duchy of Aquitaine at 15, married King Louis VII of France, joined the Second Crusade, divorced Louis VII, married Henry II of England (1152), became mother of Richard I and John, and was imprisoned for 16 years by Henry II after supporting her sons' rebellion. The Battle of Poi…