Jazeneuil is a commune in the Vienne department of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, where the village lanes meet the winding Vonne. The 2023 Insee census counted 793 municipal residents across the whole commune, at a density of 24.9 people per square kilometre; the average annual population change between 2017 and 2023 was -0.2%. Insee counted 22 employer establishments at the end of 2024. Agriculture, forestry and fishing accounted for 22.7% of them, construction 22.7%, and commerce, transport and other services 40.9%. These are shares of establishments, not of jobs or residents, and give a more precise picture than calling the village simply agricultural.
The church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste is the strongest landmark in the village. The Ministry of Culture dates its principal building campaign to the twelfth century and records its classification as a protected Historic Monument on 11 August 1883. Grand Poitiers describes it as Poitevin Romanesque. Beside the Vonne, the church’s setting is tied to water as well as architecture: the Saint-Macou fountain rises beneath the choir and supplies the nearby washhouse, according to the local tourism-office record. Nine contemporary stained-glass windows were installed in 1999 and 2006 around the theme of purifying water, alongside older glass. Check locally before planning an interior visit.
Several nearby stories need careful labels. Grand Poitiers’ 2023 walking leaflet says a Gallo-Roman aqueduct carried the spring’s water to a villa at the Logis de la Cour, which later became a medieval fortified house. The same leaflet records the name “Mélusine” for the spring from 1921 and a double-Mélusine bas-relief sculpted in 1954. It presents the supposed underground passage from the Grotte aux fées to Lusignan castle as an old local claim, not a verified tunnel; the fairy connection belongs to legend. The Ministry lists another village house as a fifteenth-century building, fully classified in 2012, with fireplaces, window seats and mullioned windows; the record calls it disused and does not advertise public entry. The Logis de la Cour also appears in heritage material, but a 2025 Centre hospitalier Laborit report identifies it as a psychosocial care setting. Respect residents and staff, and do not treat it as a visitor attraction.
For a walk, Grand Poitiers maps the Sentier de la Grotte aux fées as a 10-kilometre, yellow-marked circuit of about three hours, starting on the left bank of the Vonne and using the GR 364. It passes riverside and woodland sections and the spring area; the leaflet warns that the path can flood and that hunters may be present during hunting season. It marks the old lime kilns as private property, so do not enter them. A longer official option, the Valley of Stained Glass itinerary, links Jazeneuil with Curzay-sur-Vonne, Sanxay and Rouillé over 31.6 kilometres, estimated at a day and a half on foot. Check current path notices and weather before setting out.
Practical services are modest but documented. La Belle Ânée, at Puy Godet, offers donkey- and llama-assisted walks in the Vonne valley, from half-day outings to multi-day itineraries; booking and current availability should be confirmed with the operator. The government directory lists the mairie at 10 rue du Vieux-Château and gives reception hours last updated in 2024, so confirm before relying on them. Lusignan is the nearest named service centre in that directory, 5.2 km away.
