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The commune is situated in deep woodland where the River Indre joins the Loire valley.
Countryside:
The soils are poorly suited to cultivation but timber plantations and vines are grown on the stony slopes. The lowlands of the River Indre are regularly flooded and these rich meadows, often known as "Iles" (Islands), once the favoured places of stockbreeders, are now becoming used for poplar plantations. The wooded territory of the commune extends in a long spit of land towards the south, as far as Cravant, opposite the Vienne valley…
Archaeology:
Numerous Merovingian sarcophagi have been found in the commune and coins were struck on market days in the 6th and 7th centuries! The names of the hamlets: Quinçay ("Lovely wood" in the Gaulish language) and Armentières ("Cattle shed")
are evocative of what was, in all likelihood, a centre of livestock breeding in the middle of the meadowland.
A Gallic gold stater coin, discovered at the beginning of the century, is evidence of the area's long history of human occupation. Furthermore a mound close to Armentières bears close resemblance to a protohistoric tumulus.
The "Poire Tapée":
In 1835, the village's attractions were advertised in the following way:
"The beautiful commune of Rivarennes,… is notable for its so-called "poires tapées"…"
These oven-dried pears were tapped using a "platissoire" (a utensil used for flattening the fruit). Totally dehydrated,
they could be kept for years before eating and were a valuable source of income for the commune's small farmers, as these dried fruits were sold in grocery shops and exported throughout northern Europe.
This traditional activity, which was particular to the Rivarennes area, continued into the early 1930s before dying out.
The only remaining traces of the activity were the dozens of century-old pear trees on the plateau…
Since 1987, however, the "Poire Tapée" association has breathed new life into this activity. Now, thanks to their efforts and particularly those of the producers and shopkeepers, Rivarennes, at the beginning of the third millenium, can once again claim to be the "VILLAGE OF THE POIRE
TAPEE".
Hemp:
To the west of the village in the locality of "la Grande-pièce" there are several remaining "boires": places where bundles of hemp were left to soak in the process known as retting. Piles of stones placed on top of the hemp in the water can also be seen: evidence of hemp's important position in the economy and agrarian landscape at the beginning of the last century.
The settlement is clustered at the foot of the slope and the village is worthy of a visit for the quality of its buildings and peaceful environment.
The tributaries of the River Indre have their own particular wildlife and were home to otters until quite recently. The tributaries of the
"Islands" are favourite haunts of pike, perch and zander…
In the middle of a clearing between Rivarennes and the commune of Saint-Benoit-le-Forêt lies the Abbaye de Turpenay, founded in 1187 (without doubt the Abbaye de Thélème, mentioned by Rabelais). The central building dates from the 15th century, the walls are 12th century and there is also a 17th century residence (listed site, private property).
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