Torfou () is a former

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

Maine-et-Loire Maine-et-Loire () is a department in the Loire Valley in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France. It is named after the two rivers, Maine and the Loire. It borders Mayenne and Sarthe to the north, Loire-Atlantique to the west, Indre-e ...

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, ...

in western

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 ...

. Inhabitants of Torfou are known as Torfousiens and Torfousiennes.

Geography

Torfou covers 32.35 km². It is situated along the Sèvre Nantaise river, 25 miles (40 km) Southeast of

Nantes Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabita ...

, and 12 miles (20 km) West of

Cholet Cholet (, , probably from Latin language, Latin ''cauletum'', "cabbage") is a Communes of France, commune of western France in the Maine-et-Loire Departments of France, department. With 54,307 inhabitants (2019), it is the second most populous c ...

(reachable by rail from both cities). The town is also at the border of three former

provinces A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...

Anjou Anjou may refer to: Geography and titles France * County of Anjou, a historical county in France and predecessor of the Duchy of Anjou **Count of Anjou, title of nobility *Duchy of Anjou, a historical duchy and later a province of France **Duk ...

(

Poitou Poitou (, , ; ; Poitevin: ''Poetou'') was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers. Both Poitou and Poitiers are named after the Pictones Gallic tribe. Geography The main historical cities are Poitiers (historical c ...

(

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.

), and

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 ...

(

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 ...

History

During the early years of the French revolutionary wars, the town found itself at the heart of the counter-revolutionary struggle in the Vendée, especially on 19 September 1793, with the Battle of Torfou. This battle pitted many Royalist military leaders against Republican troops under Kléber and Canclaux and followed by a period of brutal government repression. On 15 December 2015, Le Longeron,

Montfaucon-Montigné Montfaucon-Montigné () is a former commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France. History The commune was created in 2000 from the merger of Montfaucon-sur-Moine and Montigné-sur-Moine, two formerly neighboring towns. On 15 De ...

, La Renaudière,

Roussay Roussay () is a former Communes of France, commune in the Maine-et-Loire Departments of France, department in western France. History On 15 December 2015, Le Longeron, Montfaucon-Montigné, La Renaudière, Roussay, Saint-André-de-la-Marche, Sa ...

, Saint-André-de-la-Marche, Saint-Crespin-sur-Moine,

Saint-Germain-sur-Moine Saint-Germain-sur-Moine () is a former Communes of France, commune in the Maine-et-Loire Departments of France, department in western France. Geography Saint-Germain-sur-Moine is located about 75 meters above sea level and is adjacent to the mun ...

Saint-Macaire-en-Mauges Saint-Macaire-en-Mauges () is a former Communes of France, commune in the Maine-et-Loire Departments of France, department in western France. Since 2015, it is the seat of the commune of Sèvremoine. History On 15 December 2015, Le Longeron, Mo ...

Tillières Tillières () is a former commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France. History On 15 December 2015, Le Longeron, Montfaucon-Montigné, La Renaudière, Roussay, Saint-André-de-la-Marche, Saint-Crespin-sur-Moine, Saint-G ...

and Torfou merged becoming one commune called

Sèvremoine Sèvremoine () is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department of western France. Saint-Macaire-en-Mauges is the municipal seat. It takes its name from the river Sèvre Nantaise and Moine. History It was established on 15 December 2015 and c ...

Sights

* La Pierre Tournisse, round monolith of granite standing on an hillock. * La Colonne, column situated at the crossroads of roads D149 and D753, commemorating the Battle of Torfou. * La Voie Romaine, a

Roman road Roman roads ( la, viae Romanae ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, and were built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Re ...

which was following the Sèvre Nantaise river and linking

Poitiers Poitiers (, , , ; Poitevin: ''Poetàe'') is a city on the River Clain in west-central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and the historical centre of Poitou. In 2017 it had a population of 88,291. Its agglomerat ...

during

Roman times In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...

. * Les bords de Sèvre, the Sèvre Nantaise river banks.

Twin town

Torfou is twinned with : *

Hachen Hachen is an ''Ortschaft'' (subdivision) of the town of Sundern in the Hochsauerlandkreis, Hochsauerland district of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the second largest ''Ortschaft'' of Sundern. Location Hachen and the associated village of ...

, municipality of

Sundern Sundern is a town in the Hochsauerland district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The name Sundern is common in Westphalia, as it means "ground given away for private usage" in the Westphalian dialect. Geography Sundern is situated approximate ...

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, since 2001.

Geography

History

Sights

Twin town

See also