Although a region of the langue d'oïl, like the whole of Saintonge, Breuillet has place names ending in ac; they attest to an Occitan origin. In the Gallo-Roman era, most of the names of the regions and their towns originated from the name of the (Gallo-Roman) people who occupied them. To simplify, the suffix ac would mean Chez le nom du peuple. The Taupignac district is located in the southern part of the commune of Breuillet, near the Beaulieu roundabout (Vaux-sur-Mer/Saint-Palais-sur-Mer) and the Royan ring road. Built on one of the hills overlooking the Saint-Augustin marsh, it is bordered to the north by an oak grove and by the Pérat (or Peyrat) stream. Several sources explain the presence of numerous wells on either side of the houses. Agriculture was predominant there until the 1970s, before gradually declining to make way for tourism (which explains the predominance of old buildings in the center of the village and even a campsite with bungalows as well as new houses and an equestrian center on the outskirts. Like many hamlets on the Arvert peninsula, Taupignac was inhabited mainly by Protestants, which explains the presence of many private graves. During the Renaissance, the village was home to a seigneury, as evidenced by the dwelling, remodeled over the centuries. Also called Taupignac castle, the current dwelling consists of a building dating from the 16th or 17th century. An inventory was carried out there in 1697 and presents the building as follows: "buildings organized around a pavilion covered with slate, roof covered with flat tiles with a top of a small bell tower". The dwelling consists of a small modern building extended by 2 low wings framed by wings of higher outbuildings. A seigneury probably present since the Middle Ages, it depends on the barony of Mornac. All that remains of the initial dwelling is a largely remodeled dovecote. Near the Taupignac dwelling, on the other side of the departmental road, the Saintonge Country Club had created, in 1924, an 18-hole golf course, a meeting place for Royan high society. After serving as a set for several films directed by É. Couzinet (Le Brigand gentilhomme, in particular), it was closed during the Occupation. The site, which was well known to Royan youth for housing a complex combining a bar/restaurant/nightclub, no longer hosts any activity.
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