CHATELLERAULT

town, Vienne dpartement, Poitou-Charentes rgion, west-central France. It lies north-northeast of Poitiers, on the main road from Paris to Bordeaux. Situated on the Vienne River, it derives its name from a 10th-century castle built by the 2nd Viscount Airaud of the district. The Henri IV bridge over the Vienne River was built between 1575 and 1611. The 16th-century Maison des Sybilles, where the French philosopher Ren Descartes spent his childhood, houses a museum devoted to him. There is also a museum of the automobile. Cutlery has been manufactured at Chtellerault since the 14th century. Its main industry is the manufacture of armaments. Pop. (1990) 35,691.