Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie
Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie | |
|---|---|
 A general view of Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie  | |
  Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie  Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie | |
| Coordinates:46°41′54″N1°56′22″W/ 46.6983°N 1.9394°W | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Pays de la Loire |
| Department | Vendée |
| Arrondissement | Les Sables-d'Olonne |
| Canton | Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez |
| Intercommunality | CA Pays de Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2020–2026) | François Blanchet[1] |
| Area 1 | 10.25 km2(3.96 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[2] | 7,974 |
| • Density | 780/km2(2,000/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00(CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00(CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 85222/85800 |
| Elevation | 0–28 m (0–92 ft) |
| Website | Site |
| 1French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2(0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie(French pronunciation:[sɛ̃ʒilkʁwad(ə)vi]) is acommunein theVendéedepartment,regionofPays de la Loire,western France.
It is situated on theCôte de Lumière.The community originated in 1967 from the unification of two communities on either side of theestuaryof the river theVie,Saint-Gilles-sur-VieandCroix-de-Vie.
Known for its important fishing harbor (specializing insardines), since 1982 Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie is also classified as aseaside resort.[3]
History
[edit]In the ninth century, the monks of Saint-Gilles-du-Gard settled in what was then calledSidunum,a priory and a fortified church.[4]: 328 In theMiddle Ages,the city, organized around the main street (now the Rue Torterue) became an important port, capable of accommodating ships with a capacity of one hundred tons.
Croix-de-Vie appeared on the right bank of the Vie, when the Duke ofMontausiergranted Saint-Gilles plots of land on the "small island" so they could build their homes.[4]In 1610,Marie Beaucairebuilt the large pier and the wharf and then a chapel from 1611 to 1613. This building was used for worship until the construction of Sainte-Croix Church in 1896 which is used today.
In 1622, KingLouis XIII of Francespent dinner one night in Croix de Vie, in a mansion located what is now in General de Gaulle street.[4]
Although Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie was three hours fromNantesand ten hours from Paris, the development of railways from the 1880s increasingly allowed holidaymakers to reach the seaside town. A trade union initiative was created in 1922.[3] On 23 January 1967, Saint-Gilles-sur-Vie and Croix-de-Vie merged to create the new municipality of Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie.[5]The fusion was the idea of Marcel Ragon and Charles Grasset. Ragon became the first mayor of the new municipality while the latter, who had served as deputy mayor of Croix-de-Vie from March 1965 until December 1966, went on to serve under Ragon as deputy mayor of the new municipality until 1995.[6]
In 1982, Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie was classified as a resort.[3]
Geography
[edit]Location
[edit]
Situated on the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean, along thecôte de Lumièreabout 70 kilometres fromNantes,320 fromBordeaux,450 from Paris and 600 fromLyon,[7]Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie covers an area of 10.3 square kilometres.[8]
It is bordered by thecommunesofSaint-Hilaire-de-Riezto the north,Le Fenouillerto the north east,Givrandto the southeast, andBretignolles-sur-Merto the south.[9]Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie stationhas rail connections to Sainte-Pazanne and Nantes.
It was thechef-lieuof the formercantonof Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, which had an area of 29,192 hectares and contained 14 communes:[10]L'Aiguillon-sur-Vie,Brem-sur-Mer,Bretignolles-sur-Mer,La Chaize-Giraud,Coëx,Commequiers,Le Fenouiller,Givrand,Landevieille,Notre-Dame-de-Riez,Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez,Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie,Saint-Maixent-sur-VieandSaint-Révérend.
Climate
[edit]The meteorological measurements began in 1877 in Saint-Gilles.[11]
The climate of theVendéedepartment is oceanic. The coast experiences significant rainfall in winter and a few storms. Under the influence of the Atlantic Ocean, the climate is cool in summer. However, the Vendée is one of the sunniest departments of France in terms of the energy received, with 1268 kWh per m2per year.[12]
Population
[edit]| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 6,178 | — |
| 1975 | 6,725 | +1.22% |
| 1982 | 6,159 | −1.25% |
| 1990 | 6,296 | +0.28% |
| 1999 | 6,797 | +0.85% |
| 2007 | 7,260 | +0.83% |
| 2012 | 7,409 | +0.41% |
| 2017 | 7,655 | +0.66% |
| Source: INSEE[13] | ||
Culture
[edit]Religion
[edit]
The town has twoCatholicchurches (one on either side of the river), the churches of Saint-Gilles et Sainte-Croix. Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie is part of thediocese of Luçon,which is part of theecclesiastical provinceofRennes.[14]It is the seat of adeaneryof four parishes: Sainte Anne de Riez (around the town of Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez), Saint Jean du Gué Gorand (Coëx), Saint Nicolas de l'Océan (Bretignolles-sur-Mer), and Notre Dame de la Vie (Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie).[15]The latter, Notre Dame de la Vie, has fourbell towers—in the churches of Saint-Gilles and Sainte-Croix, as well as those of Fenouiller and Givrand.[16]
In the middle of the sixteenth century, aprotestantchurch was founded in Saint-Gilles-sur-Vie; it was destroyed in November 1665, as one of seventeen protestant churches in the Bas-Poitou, the region that corresponds to today's Vendée.[17][18]
The Brotherhood of the Sardine
[edit]The Brotherhood of the Sardine (Confrérie de la Sardine) was founded in 1991. Headed by a grandmaster, it is devoted to the promotion of the seaside resort and the celebration of products from the sea, especially the sardine, which has become a speciality of Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie.[19]Notable "sympathizers" include sailorMichel Desjoyeaux,actressIsabel Otero,and the formerPrime Minister of FranceFrançois Fillon.[20]
Companies
[edit]- Beneteau– boat manufacturer, founded in 1884 in Croix-de-Vie
Personalities
[edit]- Marcel Baudouin(1860–1941) -physician
- Narcisse Pelletier(1844–1894) -castaway
- Benjamin Bénéteau,founder of the commune in 1884.
- Marie de Beaucaire(1535–1613), Baronness of Rié. Did much to facilitate development into a town.,.[3][21][22]
- Pierre Desproges(1939–1988), comedian[23]
- Pierre Garcie-Ferrande,(1430–1520) cartographer.[24]
- Charles Atamian(1872–1947) -painter, painted many scenes of the Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie shore.
- Émile Goué(1904–1946), composer, composedWanda(1934) situated in Croix-de-Vie.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"Répertoire national des élus: les maires".data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises(in French). 2 December 2020.
- ^"Populations légales 2021"(in French).The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies.28 December 2023.
- ^abcd(in French)"Un peu d'histoire"(in French). Office de Tourisme de Saint Gilles Croix de Vie. Archived fromthe originalon 12 October 2007.Retrieved3 August2009.
- ^abcAuzias, Dominique; Chollet, Carole; Labourdette, Jean-Paul; Lauprete, Marie-Madeleine (2008). "Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie".Le Petit Futé Vendée(12th ed.). Paris: Petit Futé. pp. 328–341.ISBN978-2-7469-2177-1.OCLC470903402.
- ^"Historique de la Vendée"[History of the Vendée] (in French). SPLAF.Retrieved13 July2009.
- ^"Nécrologie: Charles Grasset, ancien maire adjoint – Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie"[Obituary: Charles Grasset, former deputy mayor of Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie].Ouest-France(in French).Retrieved23 January2009.[dead link]
- ^(in French)« Venir à Saint Gilles Croix de Vie »Archived24 December 2007 at theWayback Machine
- ^Commune de Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie (85222),INSEE
- ^(in French)« Carte des cantons et communes du département de la Vendée »Archived30 August 2012 at theWayback Machine(PDF) on the site of theConseil général de la Vendée,consulté le 2 juillet 2009
- ^(in French)« Canton: Saint Gilles Croix de Vie »Archived23 November 2008 at theWayback Machineon the site of the Maison des communes de Vendée, consulté le 2 juillet 2009
- ^(in French)Catherine Corbin et Franck Baraer (Météo-France),« Étude des conditions climatiques de la Baie de Bourgneuf »Archived9 October 2007 at theWayback Machine(PDF) sur le site officiel de l'association pour le développement du bassin versant de la Baie de Bourgneuf, mars 2003, p.4 et 30
- ^(in French)Alliance Soleil,« Étude du potentiel vendéen et des applications possibles de l'énergie solaire thermique et photovoltaïque »Archived16 July 2011 at theWayback Machine(PDF) sur le site officiel du Conseil général de la Vendée, février 2007, p.5-6
- ^Population en historique depuis 1968,INSEE
- ^Castet, Alain; Michel Santier."Diocèse de Luçon".Conférence des évêques de France. Archived fromthe originalon 21 June 2009.Retrieved4 August2009.
- ^"Notre Dame de la Vie".Diocèse de Luçon en Vendée.Retrieved4 August2009.
- ^"Horaires des Messes".Notre Dame de la Vie.Retrieved4 August2009.[permanent dead link]
- ^"L'Eglise Réformée de France à La Roche sur Yon et en Vendée ouest".Église Réformée de France. Archived fromthe originalon 26 July 2011.Retrieved4 August2009.
- ^Brochet, Louis (1902).Histoire de la Vendée du Bas Poitou en France.
- ^"Quelques mots du grand maître".Confrérie de la sardine.Retrieved3 August2009.
- ^Ané, Claire (19 July 2009)."A la Confrérie de la sardine, des VRP bénévoles".Le Monde.Archived fromthe originalon 22 July 2009.Retrieved3 August2009.
- ^Orthographe deSaint-Hilaire-de-Riezau XVIIe
- ^(in French)Grand Dictionnaire des femmes de l'Ancienne France,« MARIE DE LUXEMBOURG DUCHESSE DE MERCOEUR et de Penthevre, Princesse de Martigues »Archived5 April 2008 at theWayback Machinesur le site officiel de l'association des société internationale pour l'étude des femmes de l'Ancien Régime, consulté le 15 juillet 2009
- ^(in French)Philippe Gilbert,« La légende vendéenne de Pierre Desproges »sur lessablesdolonne.maville.com (Ouest-France), 18 avril 2008
- ^(in French)« Le premier océanographe de l'Histoire: Pierre Garcie-Ferrande, père de la cartographie marine »Archived29 November 2008 at theWayback Machine,le Journal de la Vendée,Conseil général de Vendée, octobre 2007
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