Aizenay
Encyclopedia
Aizenay is a commune
in the Vendée
department in the Pays de la Loire
region
in western France
.
, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Vendée
Vendée
The Vendée is a department in the Pays-de-la-Loire region in west central France, on the Atlantic Ocean. The name Vendée is taken from the Vendée river which runs through the south-eastern part of the department.-History:...
department in the Pays de la Loire
Pays de la Loire
Pays de la Loire is one of the 27 regions of France. It is one of the regions created in the late 20th century to serve as a zone of influence for its capital, Nantes, one of a handful so-called "balancing metropolises" ¹...
region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
in western France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Geography
Aizenay is located 15 km north-west of La Roche-sur-YonLa Roche-sur-Yon
La Roche-sur-Yon is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.It is the capital of the department. Its inhabitants are called Yonnais.-History:...
, 25 km from Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie
Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie
Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.It is situated on the Côte de Lumière...
and Challans
Challans
Challans is a commune in the Vendée département in the Pays de la Loire région in western France....
and 30 km from Les Sables d'Olonne (on the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
Vendée coast).
Aizenay borders the communes La Chapelle-Palluau
La Chapelle-Palluau
La Chapelle-Palluau is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.-References:*...
, Maché
Maché
Maché is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.-References:*...
, Apremont
Apremont
-France:* Apremont, Ain, in the Ain département* Apremont, Ardennes, in the Ardennes département* Apremont, Oise, in the Oise département* Apremont, Haute-Saône, in the Haute-Saône département* Apremont, Savoie, in the Savoie département...
, Coëx
Coëx
Coëx is a commune of the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.-References:*...
, La Chapelle-Hermier
La Chapelle-Hermier
La Chapelle-Hermier is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.-References:*...
, Martinet
Martinet, Vendée
Martinet is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France....
, Beaulieu-sous-la-Roche
Beaulieu-sous-la-Roche
Beaulieu-sous-la-Roche is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.-References:*...
, Venansault
Venansault
Venansault is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France....
, La Génétouze
La Génétouze
La Génétouze is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.-References:*...
and Le Poiré-sur-Vie
Le Poiré-sur-Vie
Le Poiré-sur-Vie is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.-References:*...
.
Its northern boundary follows the course of the Vie
Vie
Vie , is a district , of Oradea, a city in Bihor, Romania. The name means vine in Romanian.-Geography:Vie is situated in the hills overlooking Oradea, in the northern part of the town. It spans quite a large area, from a part just north of the hillow but the centre extending quite far into the...
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.
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 BrandtBrandt (brand)
Brandt was a French brandname producing various home equipment, created in 1924 by Edgar Brandt as a part of Hotchkiss-Brandt.- History of Brandt:* In 1924, Brandt is established.* In 1966, Hotchkiss-Brandt merges with Thomson ....
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
Michelin Guide
The Michelin Guide is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. The term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide, which awards the Michelin stars...
, which opened its doors for 27 years until 2005.
Demographics
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. 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.
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.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 necropolisNecropolis
A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...
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.