Corpe () is a commune of the

Vendée Vendée (; br, Vande) is a department in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France, on the Atlantic coast. In 2019, it had a population of 685,442.

department in the

Pays de la Loire Pays de la Loire (; ; br, Broioù al Liger) is one of the 18 regions of France, in the west of the mainland. It was created in the 1950s to serve as a zone of influence for its capital, Nantes, one of a handful of "balancing metropolises" (). ...

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 an ...

in western

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

History

The name Corpe is derived from an old French word for a

crow A crow is a bird of the genus '' Corvus'', or more broadly a synonym for all of ''Corvus''. Crows are generally black in colour. The word "crow" is used as part of the common name of many species. The related term "raven" is not pinned scientifica ...

'Corp'. Corpe is part of the

canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ente ...

of Mareuil-sur-Lay and was originally an agricultural community. It is recorded in the rolls of the Battle of Agincort that Monsegnior de Corpe was captured by the English and held ransom at the sum of 200,000 billets. The price of his ransom reflects the fact that he was a major player in the war as the ransom for a Man at Arms was 1,000 billets. There is no record of any such ransom ever being paid. More recently as the number of people employed in farming declined due to mechanisation, Corpe grew to accommodate people working in the businesses in and around

Luçon Luçon () is a commune in the Vendée department, Pays de la Loire region, western France. Its inhabitants are known as Luçonnais. Luçon Cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Luçon (comprising the Vendée), where Cardinal Richelieu onc ...

due to the good communications. The wealth of shops and businesses in nearby

and Mareuil-sur-Lay means that there are few facilities in Corpe, only a church and a cafe. A new Zone Artisanale is planned at La Frise to accommodate local tradesmen and is due to start construction in 2013.

Geography

The river

Smagne The Smagne () is a river in the Vendée ''département'', western France. Its source is near Bourseguin, a hamlet in Bourneau. It flows generally west. It is a left tributary of the Lay into which it flows between Bessay and Mareuil-sur-Lay-Dis ...

forms most of the commune's northern border.

Transportation

The main road from Luçon to La Roche sur Yon (D746) passes very close to the village, the A83 motorway is only 12 km away and the beaches of south Vendée are less than 30 minutes by car. The village is entirely surrounded by farmland and provides a tranquil location which is however well connected.

History

Geography

Transportation

See also