Vendée (; br, Vande) is a department in the Pays de la Loire

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 and t ...

in Western

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

, on the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

coast. In 2019, it had a population of 685,442.Populations légales 2019: 85 Vendée
INSEE Its prefecture is La Roche-sur-Yon.

History

The area today called the Vendée was originally known as the ''Bas-Poitou'' and is part of the former province of Poitou. In the southeast corner, the village of Nieul-sur-l'Autise is believed to be the birthplace of

Eleanor of Aquitaine Eleanor ( – 1 April 1204; french: Aliénor d'Aquitaine, ) was Queen of France from 1137 to 1152 as the wife of King Louis VII, Queen of England from 1154 to 1189 as the wife of King Henry II, and Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right from ...

(1122–1204). Eleanor's son, Richard the Lionheart often had his base in Talmont. The

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantag ...

(1337–1453) turned much of the Vendée into a battleground. Since the Vendée held a considerable number of influential Protestants, including control by Jeanne d'Albret mother of Henry IV of France, the region was greatly affected by the

French Wars of Religion The French Wars of Religion is the term which is used in reference to a period of civil war between French Catholics and Protestants, commonly called Huguenots, which lasted from 1562 to 1598. According to estimates, between two and four mil ...

which broke out in 1562 and continued until 1598. In April of that year King Henri IV issued the

Edict of Nantes The Edict of Nantes () was signed in April 1598 by King Henry IV and granted the Calvinist Protestants of France, also known as Huguenots, substantial rights in the nation, which was in essence completely Catholic. In the edict, Henry aim ...

and the Wars came to an end. The revocation of the

in 1685 caused many

Huguenots The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Bez ...

to flee from the Vendée. In the void, the region became rigorously Catholic due to the influence of a preacher and Marian missionary Louis de Montfort who radically changed the spirituality of the region. Many attribute the effect of his preaching to prepare the Vendeans for their revolt against the French Revolution. The Vendeans revolted against the Revolutionary government in 1793. They resented the harsh oppression imposed on the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

by the provisions of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy act (1790) and broke into open revolt after the Revolutionary government's imposition of military conscription. A massacre of Republicans at Machecoul in March was followed by

guerrilla warfare Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare in which small groups of combatants, such as paramilitary personnel, armed civilians, or irregulars, use military tactics including ambushes, sabotage, raids, petty warfare, hit-and-run ...

, led at the outset by peasants who were chosen in each locale, and cost more than 240,000 lives before it ended in 1796 (190,000 Vendeans who were republicans or royalists and 50,000 non-Vendean republican soldiers; according to the Jacques Hussenet and Centre Vendéen de Recherche Historique's book ''Détruisez la Vendée''). The Revolt in the Vendée must not be confused with the revolt of the

Chouans Chouan ("the silent one", or "owl") is a French nickname. It was used as a nom de guerre by the Chouan brothers, most notably Jean Cottereau, better known as Jean Chouan, who led a major revolt in Bas-Maine against the French Revolution. Part ...

, which took place at the same time in Maine and

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

. The revolt was led by able officers, mostly aristocrats with some commoners. England provided funds and weapons but various plans for military support were thwarted or cancelled, such as the ill-fated 1795

Quiberon Expedition The invasion of France in 1795 or the Battle of Quiberon was a major landing on the Quiberon peninsula by émigré, counter-revolutionary troops in support of the Chouannerie and Vendée Revolt, beginning on 23 June and finally definitively r ...

. In 1804, Napoleon I chose La Roche-sur-Yon to be the capital of the department. At the time, most of La Roche had been eradicated in the Vendée Revolt (1793–96); the renamed Napoléonville was laid out and a fresh population of soldiers and civil servants was brought in. Napoléonville had a square-grid street network and was designed to accommodate 15,000 people. In 1815, when Napoleon escaped exile on

Elba Elba ( it, isola d'Elba, ; la, Ilva) is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino on the Italian mainland, and the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano Nation ...

for his

Hundred Days The Hundred Days (french: les Cent-Jours ), also known as the War of the Seventh Coalition, marked the period between Napoleon's return from eleven months of exile on the island of Elba to Paris on20 March 1815 and the second restorati ...

, the Vendée refused to recognise him and stayed loyal to King Louis XVIII. General Lamarque led 10,000 men into the Vendée to pacify the region.

Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition The ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is a 29-volume reference work, an edition of the '' Encyclopædia Britannica''. It was developed during the encyclopaedia's transition from a British to an American publication. S ...

Waterloo Campaign A failed rebellion in the Vendée in 1832 in support of Marie-Caroline de Bourbon-Sicile, duchess de Berry, the former King Charles X's widowed daughter-in-law, was an unsuccessful attempt to restore the Legitimist Bourbon dynasty during the reign of the Orléanist monarch, King

Louis Philippe Louis Philippe (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850) was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, and the penultimate monarch of France. As Louis Philippe, Duke of Chartres, he distinguished himself commanding troops during the Revolutionary Wa ...

of the French (1830–1848). In 1850, English author

Anthony Trollope Anthony Trollope (; 24 April 1815 – 6 December 1882) was an English novelist and civil servant of the Victorian era. Among his best-known works is a series of novels collectively known as the '' Chronicles of Barsetshire'', which revolves ...

published his book ''La Vendée'', detailing the history of the region and the war. In the preface he pays tribute to Madame de la Rochejaquelein, on whose memoirs of the war he based his story.

Etymology

The name ''Vendée'' is taken from the river Vendée which runs through the southeastern part of the department. The river is attested as ''Fluvium Vendre'' in the 10th century, and as ''Flumen Vendee'' and ''Vendeia'' by the 11th century. According to Pierre-Henri Billy, the name ultimately derives from the Celtic toponym ''*vindo-'' meaning white or brilliant in a sacred context (as in the Modern Welsh ''gwyn/wyn''). The name likely originates in

Proto-Celtic Proto-Celtic, or Common Celtic, is the ancestral proto-language of all known Celtic languages, and a descendant of Proto-Indo-European. It is not attested in writing but has been partly reconstructed through the comparative method. Proto-Celt ...

Gaulish Gaulish was an ancient Celtic language spoken in parts of Continental Europe before and during the period of the Roman Empire. In the narrow sense, Gaulish was the language of the Celts of Gaul (now France, Luxembourg, Belgium, most of Switzerl ...

, but may also have originated in the Gallo or Old Breton languages.

Geography

Vendée's highest point is Puy-Crapaud (295 m). The department is crossed by four rivers: the Sèvre Nantaise ( long), the Vendée (), the Lay () and the Sèvre Niortaise ().

Demographics

Vendée's inhabitants are referred to as ''Vendeans'' (

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

''Vendéens'' ).

Principal towns

The most populous commune is La Roche-sur-Yon, the prefecture. As of 2019, there are 7 communes with more than 10,000 inhabitants. The 10 most populous communes are:

Higher education

The main University of this department is the Catholic Institute of Higher Studies - ICES in La Roche-sur-Yon. The main goal of this institute is to achieve academic excellence through an enhancement of the Christian and human dimension in seven areas of study. Founded in 1989, Catholic Institute of Higher Studies - ICES has pioneered a new concept in higher education, that of the “University School”: halfway between the French Grande École and the traditional state university.

Economy

The primary factors of the Vendéen economy are: *Tourism *Agriculture *Food Processing *Light/Medium Industry The Vendée has been cited as the most economically dynamic department in France by L'Express magazine in a 2006 survey. Its economy is characterised by a low rate of unemployment (around 7% in late 2006 compared to more than 9% nationally) and a very high proportion of small and medium-sized businesses (one business for every 14 inhabitants).

Tourism

The coast of the Vendée extends over of mostly sandy beaches. Tourists from overseas and locally frequent them. Some resorts include Les Sables-d'Olonne, La Tranche-sur-Mer and Saint-Jean-de-Monts. Some beaches are certified for the FEE Blue Flag for cleanliness. With more than of sandy beaches edged with dunes and pine woods. There are several nude beaches including just south of La Faute sur Mer on the Pointe d'Arçay. The department also has churches and abbeys, museums, and—for nature lovers—thousands of marked footpaths, a signposted bicycle route running along the coastal mudflats, and marshes that attract unusual birds. There is fishing in the Vendée's rivers and lakes. Inland, the chief attractions include the Marais Poitevin (an area of marshlands famed for wildlife), the forested area around the village of Mervent and the rolling countryside of the Bocage. In the north of the department, the historical theme park Puy du Fou attracts more than 1.45 million of visitors per year. 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:Place Napoléon de La Roche-sur-Yon depuis l'église.jpg, La Roche-sur-Yon, Napoleon I's city File:MaraisPoitevin.jpg, Marais Poitevin File:Windmuhle auf ile de Noirmoutier.jpg, Windmill on the Noirmoutier island File:Maillezais - Cathedrale Saint-Pierre 02.jpg,

Maillezais Cathedral Maillezais Cathedral (french: Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Maillezais, or ''St. Peter Maillezais'') is a ruined Roman Catholic church in the commune of Maillezais in the Vendée, France. Formerly the site of the Abbey of Saint-Pierre, the site gre ...

File:F07.Vouvant.0012.JPG, Vouvant File:Puy-du-Fou-3.JPG, Medieval show at Puy du Fou themepark. File:Lucon Vendée.JPG, Cathedral of Notre Dame, episcopal seat of the Diocese of Luçon (comprising the Vendée)

Agriculture

Agriculture remains a significant source of employment in the Vendée. Among departments, it has the second highest level of revenue from agriculture in France. The major arable crops grown are maize, colza, wheat and sunflowers. Meat and dairy production also feature, as does the offshore farming of shellfish (oysters and mussels). Poultry from Challans is highly regarded nationwide as is lamb produced from the salt marshes in the North of the Vendée. Demonstrating its support for the agricultural sector, the Conseil Général of the Vendée has a stated policy to promote the construction of irrigation reservoirs to reduce dependence on ground water during key summer growing seasons.

Food processing and manufacturing

The Vendée is home to a number of food processing firms. A manufacturer of ready-meals and

charcuterie Charcuterie ( , also ; ; from french: chair, , flesh, label=none, and french: cuit, , cooked, label=none) is a French term for a branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, '' galantines'', '' ...

employs the majority of its workforce (some 3000 people) at local plants. Other employers include bakeries and biscuit producers. The department also has some speciality products, including

brioche Brioche (, also , , ) is a bread of French origin whose high egg and butter content gives it a rich and tender crumb. Chef Joël Robuchon described it as "light and slightly puffy, more or less fine, according to the proportion of butter and e ...

(''Label Rouge'') and a raw cured ham (''Jambon de Vendée'') similar in flavour to bacon. Wine is also produced in the area around the communes of Vix, Brem, Pissotte and Mareuil-sur-Lay, and is marketed under the "Fiefs Vendéens" designation. Production quality has improved markedly over recent years, and, having already achieved the classification Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (VDQS), the wines are on their way towards A.O.C status ( Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée).

Industry

Much of the manufacturing industry in the Vendée reflects its status as a major tourist destination. Mobile homes are manufactured at plants in

Luçon Luçon () is a Communes of France, commune in the Vendée Departments of France, department, Pays de la Loire Regions of France, region, western France. Its inhabitants are known as Luçonnais. Luçon Cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Luço ...

and the building of motor and sail yachts takes place at locations all over the department. The service sector too is strongly inclined towards tourism with campsites, restaurants and other tourism businesses being important sources of revenue and employment.

Culture

The War in the Vendée is the subject of '' Ninety-Three'' (''Quatrevingt-treize''), the last novel by the French writer

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...

, an episode in ''

Mr. Midshipman Hornblower ''Mr. Midshipman Hornblower'' is a 1950 Horatio Hornblower novel written by C. S. Forester. Although it may be considered as the first episode in the Hornblower saga, it was written as a prequel; the first Hornblower novel, '' The Happy Return' ...

'' and also the backdrop of '' Les Chouans'' by Balzac. In the writings of

Karl Marx Karl Heinrich Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist, critic of political economy, and socialist revolutionary. His best-known titles are the 1848 ...

regarding revolutionary struggles in various countries, he uses the term "a Vendée" as meaning "a focus of persistent counter-revolutionary activities".

Vladimir Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 1 ...

, when speaking about Cossacks as potential counter-revolutionary opposition, identified them as ''Russian Vendée''.

Cuisine

*''Jambon-mogettes'' (ham and white beans) is the most famous Vendean dish. *The department is the largest brioche producer in France, with the ''Brioche de Vendée'' made in the

Bocage Bocage (, ) is a terrain of mixed woodland and pasture characteristic of parts of Northern France, Southern England, Ireland, the Netherlands and Northern Germany, in regions where pastoral farming is the dominant land use. ''Bocage'' may ...

. *In the Plain of

, préfou is a garlic bread that can be served as an aperitif. *In the marshland of the North-West, the ''poultry of Challans'', especially duck, is well known in the gastronomic world. *The department has several small vineyards, around Brem-sur-Mer, Mareuil-sur-Lay-Dissais, Vix, and Pissotte.

Government

In the Vendée, 31 members, elected through

universal suffrage Universal suffrage (also called universal franchise, general suffrage, and common suffrage of the common man) gives the right to vote to all adult citizens, regardless of wealth, income, gender, social status, race, ethnicity, or political sta ...

, govern the affairs of the department, with 26 members on the right-wing and 5 members on the

left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in so ...

. The

Prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect's ...

represents the French State in the department.

Politics

The president of the Departmental Council is Alain Lebœuf, elected in July 2021. Previous Presidents were Bruno Retailleau and Philippe de Villiers.

Current National Assembly Representatives

References

External links

*
Departmental council website
*
Prefecture website
*
Vendee Tourist Board
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vendee Departments of Pays de la Loire Poitou