is a ''
Département '' in west central
France , on the
Atlantic 's
Bay Of Biscay . The name ''Vendée'' is taken from the
Vendée River which runs through the south-eastern part of the ''département''.
The area today called the Vendée was originally known as the ''Bas-Poitou''. In the south-east corner, the village of Nieul-sur-l'Autise is believed to be the birthplace of
Eleanor Of Aquitaine (
1122 -
1204 ) and was part of her Kingdom. Eleanor's son,
Richard I Of England (the Lionhearted) often based himself in
Talmont . The
Hundred Years' War (
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 , the region was also greatly marked by the 36-year
French Wars Of Religion which broke out in
1562 . Eventually
King Henri IV issued the
Edict Of Nantes and the Wars came to an end. When the
Edict Of Nantes was revoked in
1685 , it caused many
Huguenots to flee from the Vendée.
It is also remembered as the place where the peasants revolted against the
Revolutionary government in
1793 . The bloody conflict, in support of the Monarchy and against the changes imposed on the
Roman Catholic Church by the
Civil Constitution Of The Clergy (
1793 ), erupted in defiance of the Revolutionary government's military
Conscription . A
Guerrilla war, led by an underground faction known as the
Chouans (screech owls) at the outset, known as the ''
Revolt In The Vendée '' and would cost more than 100,000 lives until it ended in
1796 .
In
1850 ,
British author,
Anthony Trollope published his book "La Vendee" detailing the history of the region and the war. In the preface he pays tribute to Madame de Larochejaquelein on whose memoirs of the war he based his story.
Vendée's highest point is
Mont Mercure (935 feet/285 m).
The department is crossed by four rivers: the Sèvre Nantaise (135 km), the Vendée (70 km), the Lay (110 km) and the Sèvre Niortaise (150 km).
The economy of the Vendée is centred around tourism, with the seaside resorts of Les Sables, La Tranche and La Faute being popular with both foreign and domestic tourists. Agriculture, food processing and light manufacturing are also important. In recent years the area around Mareuil-sur-Lay has grown in stature for its production of good quality white and rose wines. Having already achieved the appellation V.D.Q.S (Vins de Qualité Superieure) the wines of
Les Fiefs Vendéens are on their way towards A.O.C status (Appellation d’Origine Controlée).
Vendée's inhabitants are referred to as ''Vendeans'' (
French ''Vendéens'').
With more than 100 miles of sandy beaches edged with dunes and pine woods, and a very mild climate, Vendée is today a popular tourist destination. There is an extensive
Nude Beach just south of La Faute sur Mer on the Pointe d'Arçay. The
Département also boasts many churches and abbeys, museums, and - for nature lovers - there are thousands of marked footpaths, a signposted bicycle route running along the coastal mudflats, and marshes that attract unusual birds. Fishing is popular in the ocean or in the Vendée's rivers and lakes.
