The Pays de Retz (; br, Bro-Raez, link=no; ) is a historical subregion of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

that currently forms part of the

Loire-Atlantique Loire-Atlantique (; br, Liger-Atlantel; before 1957: ''Loire-Inférieure'', br, Liger-Izelañ, link=no) is a department in Pays de la Loire on the west coast of France, named after the river Loire and the Atlantic Ocean. It had a population o ...

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

, but which previously formed part of the

Duchy of Brittany The Duchy of Brittany ( br, Dugelezh Breizh, ; french: Duché de Bretagne) was a medieval feudal state that existed between approximately 939 and 1547. Its territory covered the northwestern peninsula of Europe, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. The area lies between the southern shore of the Loire estuary and the '' Marais breton'' (Breton marshlands), bordered to the west by the ''Baie de Bourgneuf'' (Bourgneuf Bay) and on the east by the ''Lac de Grand-Lieu'' (Grand-Lieu Lake) and a network of small rivers. Its main towns are

Rezé Rezé (; br, Reudied, Gallo Gallo may refer to: *Related to Gaul: ** Gallo-Roman culture **Gallo language, a regional language of France **Gallo-Romance, a branch of Romance languages **Gallo-Italic or Gallo-Italian language, a branch spoken ...

(which was its capital and the see of a Catholic Diocese of Rezé from 510 to 851),

Pornic Pornic (; ''Pornizh'' in Breton, ''Port-Nitz'' in Gallo) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. In 1973 the commune of Pornic absorbed the neighbouring municipalities of Sainte-Marie-sur-Mer and Clion-sur-Mer. Popula ...

, Paimbœuf and

Machecoul Machecoul ( br, Machikoul) is a former commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Machecoul-Saint-Même.Nominoe Nominoe or Nomenoe (french: Nominoë; br, Nevenoe; c. 800, 7 March 851) was the first Duke of Brittany from 846 to his death. He is the Breton ''pater patriae'' and to Breton nationalists he is known as ' ("father of the country"). ...

Nominoe Nominoe or Nomenoe (french: Nominoë; br, Nevenoe; c. 800, 7 March 851) was the first Duke of Brittany from 846 to his death. He is the Breton ''pater patriae'' and to Breton nationalists he is known as ' ("father of the country"). ...

and his son

Erispoe Erispoe (french: Erispoë; la, Herispoius, Herispogius, Respogius; died 2 or 12 November 857) was Duke of Brittany from 851 to his death. After the death of his father Nominoe, he led a successful military campaign against the Franks, culminating ...

won a series of victories over the Franks between 843 and 851, resulting in the Treaty of Angers (851) between

Charles the Bald Charles the Bald (french: Charles le Chauve; 13 June 823 – 6 October 877), also known as Charles II, was a 9th-century king of West Francia (843–877), king of Italy (875–877) and emperor of the Carolingian Empire (875–877). After a ser ...

and

, which gave "''Ratense''" or ''Pays de Retz'' to

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...

. In subsequent centuries there was conflict between

and Anjou over the area. The notorious medieval serial killer Baron

Gilles de Rais Gilles de Rais (c. 1405 – 26 October 1440), Baron de Rais (), was a knight and lord from Brittany, Anjou and Poitou, a leader in the French army, and a companion-in-arms of Joan of Arc. He is best known for his reputation and later convi ...

was from the area, and murdered and raped a large number of local peasant children. During the

War in the Vendée The war in the Vendée (french: link=no, Guerre de Vendée) was a counter-revolution from 1793 to 1796 in the Vendée region of France during the French Revolution. The Vendée is a coastal region, located immediately south of the river Loir ...

of 1793, the area was a Royalist stronghold.Alain Gérard, ''Les Vendéens des origines à nos jours'', Centre vendéen des recherches historiques, La Roche-sur-Yon 2001 (Histoire du Pays de Retz et des Ambilâtres à la fin de l'Antiquité)

References

Literature

* Dominique Biron, Elizabeth Brisson, Dominique et Joseph Péroys, "''Contes de la Voisine. Seize contes populaires en parler du Pays de Retz''", Séquences, 1990 * ''Le Patrimoine des communes de la Loire-Atlantique'', éditions Flohic, 2001 * Gilles Perraudeau, "''Contes populaires du Pays de Retz''", éd. du Pays de Retz, 1982 Geography of Brittany History of Brittany {{LoireAtlantique-geo-stub