Parthenay (Deux-Sèvres)

Parthenay (French: [paʁtənɛ]) is an ancient fortified town and ''commune'' in the Deux-Sèvres department of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. It is sited on a rocky spur that is surrounded on two sides by the River Thouet, and is the sub-prefecture of the Parthenay ''arrondissement''. It is situated some north of Niort, west of Poitiers, south-east of Nantes, and south-west of Paris. Each July, Parthenay hosts the Festival Ludique International de Parthenay, otherwise known as…