commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
in the
Vendée
Vendée (; br, Vande) is a department in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France, on the Atlantic coast. In 2019, it had a population of 685,442.
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...
in western France. It is the capital of the department. The demonym for its inhabitants is ''Yonnais''.
History
The town expanded significantly after
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
chose the site as the new préfecture of the
Vendée
Vendée (; br, Vande) is a department in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France, on the Atlantic coast. In 2019, it had a population of 685,442.
on 25 May 1804, replacing
Fontenay-le-Comte
Fontenay-le-Comte (; Poitevin: ''Funtenaes'' or ''Fintenè'') is a commune and subprefecture in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region of Western France. In 2018, it had a population of 13,302, while its functional area had a po ...
(then under its revolutionary name of Fontenay-le-Peuple). At the time, most of La Roche had been eradicated in the
Vendée Revolt
Vendée (; br, Vande) is a department in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France, on the Atlantic coast. In 2019, it had a population of 685,442.
(1793–96); the renamed Napoléonville was laid out and a fresh population of soldiers and civil servants was brought in. Napoléonville was designed to accommodate 15,000 people.
The town was called successively:
*La Roche-sur-Yon (during the
Ancien Régime
''Ancien'' may refer to
* the French word for "ancient, old"
** Société des anciens textes français
* the French for "former, senior"
** Virelai ancien
** Ancien Régime
** Ancien Régime in France
''Ancien'' may refer to
* the French word for ...
First French Empire
The First French Empire, officially the French Republic, then the French Empire (; Latin: ) after 1809, also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental E ...
)
*Bourbon-Vendée (during the
French Restoration
The Bourbon Restoration was the period of French history during which the House of Bourbon returned to power after the first fall of Napoleon on 3 May 1814. Briefly interrupted by the Hundred Days War in 1815, the Restoration lasted until the ...
)
*Napoléon-Vendée (during the
French Second Empire
The Second French Empire (; officially the French Empire, ), was the 18-year Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 14 January 1852 to 27 October 1870, between the Second and the Third Republic of France.
Historians in the 1930s a ...
)
Geography
The river Yon flows southward through the commune and crosses the town.
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''Cfb''). The average annual temperature in La Roche-sur-Yon is . The average annual rainfall is with November as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around . The highest temperature ever recorded in La Roche-sur-Yon was on 18 July 2022; the coldest temperature ever recorded was on 10 February 1986.
Population
The population data in the table and graph below refer to the commune of La Roche-sur-Yon proper, in its geography at the given years. The commune of La Roche-sur-Yon absorbed the former communes of Le Bourg-sous-la-Roche-sur-Yon and Saint-André-d'Ornay in 1964.
Administration
The ''
Communauté d'agglomération
An agglomeration community (french: communauté d'agglomération) is a government structure in France, created by the Chevènement Law of 1999. It is one of four forms of intercommunality, less integrated than a métropole or a communauté urb ...
La Chaize-le-Vicomte
La Chaize-le-Vicomte () is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.
Geography
The river Yon forms part of the commune's northern border.
See also
*Communes of the Vendée department
The followi ...
File:Statue de Napoléon.JPG, Napoléon's statue (1854)
File:Kiosque Place Napoléon.JPG, Kiosk on Napoléon square
File:Animaux mécaniques Place Napoléon LRSY.JPG, Napoléon square /
File:Église Saint-Louis (façade droite) - La Roche-sur-Yon.jpg, Saint-Louis church
File:Église Saint-Louis (nef) - La Roche-sur-Yon.jpg, Saint-Louis church
File:Église Saint-Louis (orgues 1) - La Roche-sur-Yon.jpg, Saint-Louis church organ
File:Eglise Saint-Louis de La Roche-sur-Yon depuis la voûte.JPG, Saint Louis Church of La Roche-sur-Yon
File:Eglise Saint-Louis de La Roche-sur-Yon depuis la tribune haute.JPG, Saint Louis Church of La Roche-sur-Yon
File:Théâtre (façade) de La Roche-sur-Yon.jpg, Theatre
File:Ancien Hôpital (façade centrale) - La Roche-sur-Yon.jpg, Old Hospital
File:Musée.jpg, Museum
File:La Roche-sur-Yon - Hôtel des Postes.jpg, Post office
File:Hôtel de préfecture de la Vendée - La Roche-sur-Yon.jpg, Prefecture building
File:sacrécoeurlry.JPG, Sacré-cœur church
File:Pavillon Renaissance (façade principale) - La Roche-sur-Yon.jpg, Renaissance house (1566)
File:Ancien Palais de Justice - La Roche-sur-Yon.jpg, Old Palais de Justice
File:La médiathèque B. Rabier.JPG, Benjamin Rabier media library
File:Gare de La Roche sur Yon.JPG, Train station
File:Abbaye des Fontenelles (vue d'ensemble) - La Roche-sur-Yon.jpg,
Fontenelles Abbey
Fontenelles Abbey or Les Fontenelles Abbey (french: Abbaye des Fontenelles; Abbaye Notre-Dame des Fontenelles; la, Fontenellae, Fintanelum, Fontenacum or ''Fontenaeum'') was an Augustinian monastery in the former commune of Saint-André-d'Orna ...
Transport
The Gare de La Roche-sur-Yon railway station offers connections to Nantes, Paris, Les Sables-d'Olonne, Bordeaux and several regional destinations. The A87 motorway connects La Roche-sur-Yon with Les Sables-d'Olonne and Angers, the A83 with Nantes and Niort.
grande école
A ''grande école'' () is a specialised university that is separate from, but parallel and often connected to, the main framework of the French public university system. The grandes écoles offer teaching, research and professional training in s ...
'' :
Institut catholique d'arts et métiers
Located in six cities in France, Institut catholique d'arts et métiers is a Graduate Engineering school created in 1898. It is one of the ''grandes écoles'' part of Toulouse Tech.
Its different curricula lead to the following French & European ...
Sports
In 2014 La Roche-sur-yon hosted the 2014 French championship of table tennis
La Roche-sur-Yon's Vendéspace hosted one of the first round ties of the
2014 Davis Cup
The 2014 Davis Cup (also known as the 2014 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas for sponsorship purposes) was the 103rd edition of the tournament between national teams in men's tennis. The final took place between the 21–23 of November 2014 in Lille, Fran ...
tennis tournament over the weekend of 31 January - 2 February 2014. France hosted Australia as both teams competed for a place in the World Group quarterfinals.
In 2015 La Roche-sur-Yon, will host the
2015 FIRS Men's Roller Hockey World Cup
The 2015 FIRS Men's Roller Hockey World Cup was the 42nd edition of the Roller Hockey World Cup, organised by the Fédération Internationale de Roller Sports (FIRS). The tournament was held for the first time in France, in the city of La Roche-su ...
, the first time that a World Cup of roller hockey is held in France.
In June 2015 La Roche-sur-Yon's Vendéspace will host the qualification tournament for the World Championships in
Savate
Savate (), also known as boxe française, savate boxing, French boxing or French footfighting, is a French kickboxing combat sport that uses the hands and feet as weapons combining elements of English boxing with graceful kicking techniques.
...
Combat
Twin towns – sister cities
La Roche-sur-Yon is twinned with:
*
Gummersbach
Gummersbach (; ksh, Jummersbach) is a town in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, being the district seat of the Oberbergischer Kreis. It is located east of Cologne.
History
In 1109 Gummersbach was mentioned in official documents for t ...
Tizi Ouzou
Tizi Ouzou or Thizi Wezzu (, Kabyle: Tizi Wezzu) is a city in north central Algeria. It is among the largest cities in Algeria. It is the second most populous city in the Kabylie region after Bejaia.
History
Etymology
The name ''Tizi Ouzou' ...
, Algeria, since 1989
*
Burg bei Magdeburg
Burg (also known as Burg bei Magdeburg to distinguish from other places with the same name) is a town of about 22,400 inhabitants on the Elbe–Havel Canal in northeastern Germany, northeast of Magdeburg. It is the capital of the Jerichower Land ...
, Germany, since 2005
* Broomhedge, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, since 2021
Ciryl Gane
Ciryl Jacky Gane (born 12 April 1990) is a French professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion. A professi ...
(born 1990), mixed martial artist, former
UFC
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
Adlène Guedioura
Adlène Guedioura ( ar, عدلان قديورة; born 12 November 1985) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Al-Wakrah in the Qatar Stars League.
At club level, Guedioura had spells at Sedan, Noisy-le-Sec, L'Entente SSG ...
Thomas Laurent
Thomas Laurent (born 5 April 1998) is a French racing driver who currently competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for French team Signatech Alpine Matmut and in the European Le Mans Series with Graff Racing. He finished second in the 2 ...