Aizenay

Aizenay
Aizenay
Administration
Country France
Region Pays de la Loire
Department Vendée
Arrondissement La Roche-sur-Yon
Canton Le Poiré-sur-Vie
Intercommunality Vie et Boulogne
Mayor Bernard Perrin
(2008–2014)
Statistics
Elevation 10–76 m (33–249 ft)
(avg. 62 m/203 ft)
Land area1 81.06 km2 (31.30 sq mi)
Population2 7,457  (2006)
 - Density 92 /km2 (240 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 85003/ 85190
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Aizenay is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.

Contents

Geography

Aizenay is located 15 km north-west of La Roche-sur-Yon, 25 km from Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie and Challans and 30 km from Les Sables d'Olonne (on the Atlantic Ocean Vendée coast).

Aizenay borders the communes La Chapelle-Palluau, Maché, Apremont, Coëx, La Chapelle-Hermier, Martinet, Beaulieu-sous-la-Roche, Venansault, La Génétouze and Le Poiré-sur-Vie.

Its northern boundary follows the course of the Vie river. The Aizenay Forest is the most prominent natural feature of the commune.

History

There are the remains of cave dwellings along the edge of the Vie river. St. Benedict died in Aizenay in 360 at the Abbey of St. Benedict Quinçay. The church was registered a Aizenay Historical Monument in 2007.

On March 27, 1944, an American B-17 named "Big Red" crashed at the edge of the Aizenay in the woodland, killing 4 people. He belonged to the 388th brigade which was bombing targets in the Bordeaux region at the time. 50 years later, in December 1994, the book "His Name Was Big Red" was released in bookstores. On 1 July 1995 the crash was given a memorial with the "Path of Remembrance" and a monument erected bon the site of the fall of the bomber.[1]

Economy

The commune is a known producer of wood, having notable forest resources. The commune has several plastics industries such as Cougnaud SA Atlantique Menuiserie, and Lapeyre-Saint-Gobain and those making textiles and footwear. The microwave firm Brandt also operates in the commune. The commune also has several small mills and various agro-food companies.

Aizenay contains numerous farms which rear cattle and grow crops to prodoce meat and dairy, poultry, pork, vegetables. Goat's cheese is a known local cheese. Aizenay has numerous restaurants. "Le Fougerais" in Aizenay was a gourmet restaurant listed in the Michelin guide, which opened its doors for 27 years until 2005.

Demographics

Historical population of Aizenay
Year 1962 1968 1975 1982 1990 1999 2006
Population 4,077 4,348 4,802 5,149 5,344 6,095 7,334
From the year 1962 on: population without double counting—residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) are counted only once.

Landmarks

Church of Saint-Benoît

This church with its colorful stained glass, characteristic of the early twentieth century is a fine example of neo-Gothic architecture. It opened for worship on Christmas Day 1905, and it was consecrated in 1965.[1] A processional cross, a true treasure of the church, was given as a gift by Louis XIII on April 19, 1622. The church also includes a sanctuary lamp in silver (17th century), chalices, statues and old crucifixes.

When restoration work began on the church in late 2005, workers were surprised to discover, beneath the floor, several sarcophagi and basements. The site has been protected since, and archaeological excavations took place in February 2007.[1]

Aizenay Forest

To the east of the town, is Aizenay Forest, with a surface area of 420 hectares. It is classified as an area of special ecological interest.[2]

There are five wooded areas open to the public, including La Grande Barriere, la Foret, le Cail Blanc, le Grand Bois, la Zone verte and le Bouquet. The River Vie and the River Yon meander through the forest.

Other landmarks

There are a few archaeological remains including a necropolis of the early Middle Ages around the old church and the château de "La Marronnière", which is the remains of the main building which replaced the central fortress in the fourteenth-fifteenth century. Today the château is run down and no longer has any interest.

There is also the presence of several mansions such as "La Petitière" (mansion converted into a farm), "La Giraudinière" (an old château) or the "Grand Plessis". The commune has several other old buildings, including the Ecclesia de Asineis of the eleventh century, Asiniacum and Asianum of the twelfth, Asen, Asyanensis, Asiniacum and Aisenei of the thirteenth, Asiano, Ayzenoys and Aizenois of the fourteenth, Izenay of the seventeenth etc.

There are also outstanding features such as the "Bonnefonds" chimney.

Transport

The commune is connected by the D948 highway from southeast to northwest, the D978 highway from south to north and the D6 highway from the southwest to the northeast. The short D2948 road also connects roads by passing through the southern outskirts of the main town.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Un Peu d' Histoire". www.mairie-aizenay.fr. http://www.mairie-aizenay.fr/decouvrez-aizenay/histoire-et-geographie/. Retrieved August 26, 2009. 
  2. ^ "Forest". www.mairie-aizenay.fr. http://www.mairie-aizenay.fr/en/tourist-office/discover-aizenay/forest/. Retrieved August 26, 2009.