Fontenay-le-Comte (; Poitevin: ''Funtenaes'' or ''Fintenè'') is a commune and

subprefecture A subprefecture is an administrative division of a country that is below prefecture or province. Albania There are twelve Counties of Albania, Albanian counties or prefectures, each of which is divided into several Districts of Albania, district ...

in the

Vendée Vendée () 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 (; but can also mean 'Lower Loire') is one of the eighteen administrative regions of France, located on the country's Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. It was created in the 1950s to serve as a zone of influence for its capital an ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

of Western

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. In 2018, it had a population of 13,302, while its functional area had a population of 41,273.Comparateur de territoire
INSEE, retrieved 20 June 2022.

Geography

The river

Vendée Vendée () 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.Gaul Gaul () was a region of Western Europe first clearly described by the Roman people, Romans, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Northern Italy. It covered an area of . Ac ...

s. The affix of comte is said to have been applied to it when it was taken by

King Louis IX Louis IX (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270), also known as Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death in 1270. He is widely recognized as the most distinguished of the Direct Capetians. Following the death of his father, Louis ...

from the family of Lusignan and given to his brother Alphonse, count of

Poitou Poitou ( , , ; ; Poitevin: ''Poetou'') was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers. Both Poitou and Poitiers are named after the Pictones Gallic tribe. Geography The main historical cities are Poitiers (historical ...

, under whom it became capital of Bas-Poitou. Ceded to the Plantagenets by the

Treaty of Brétigny A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between sovereign states and/or international organizations that is governed by international law. A treaty may also be known as an international agreement, protocol, covenant, conventio ...

, in 1360 it was retaken in 1372 by Duguesclin. It suffered repeated capture during the Religious Wars of the 16th century, was dismantled in 1621 and was occupied both by the Republicans and the Royalist Vendeans during the

Revolt in the Vendée Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...

(1793). From 1790 to 1806 it was capital of the Vendée department.

Population

Miscellaneous

At Maison Laval on rue Rabelais, a townhouse built at the end of the 18th Century, Emperor

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

1st and his wife, Joséphine, spent the night of 7–8 August 1808. On their way from

Rochefort Rochefort () may refer to: Places France * Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, in the Charente-Maritime department ** Arsenal de Rochefort, a former naval base and dockyard * Rochefort, Savoie in the Savoie department * Rochefort-du-Gard, in the G ...

Nantes Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...

, they had stopped off in the Bas-Poitou capital of Fontenay-le-Comte where they were the guests of Mayor Laval who, to give them a dignified welcome, had prepared a triumphal arch over the Pont Neuf bridge. That night, the Emperor learned of the defeat of General Dupont at Bailem. The General's surrender, which seriously compromised the French army's position in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, threw the Emperor into a deep rage. If word is to be believed, the Emperor smashed an earthenware vase placed in front of him.

Personalities

François Rabelais François Rabelais ( , ; ; born between 1483 and 1494; died 1553) was a French writer who has been called the first great French prose author. A Renaissance humanism, humanist of the French Renaissance and Greek scholars in the Renaissance, Gr ...

(c. 1493?–1553) was a Franciscan friar at Fontenay-le-Comte, where he studied

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

and

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

, as well as science,

philology Philology () is the study of language in Oral tradition, oral and writing, written historical sources. It is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics with strong ties to etymology. Philology is also de ...

, and law. *

Georges Simenon Georges Joseph Christian Simenon (; 12/13 February 1903 – 4 September 1989) was a Belgian writer who created the fictional detective Jules Maigret. One of the most prolific and successful authors of the 20th century, he published around 400 ...

(1903–1989) the Belgian writer, author of the Maigret series and other books, stayed at the Chateau de Terreneuve during the war. Several stories are based in the Vendée, and at least one in Fontenay. There is a Simenon tour. Fontenay-le-Comte was the birthplace of: *

Augustine Allix Augustine Allix (4 May 1823 − 15 January 1901) was a French singer, pianist and teacher of music and song, having been part of the close entourage of the family of Victor Hugo during the latter's exile to Jersey and Guernsey. Life Born in Fo ...

(1823–1901), singer, pianist and teacher *

Thérèse-Mirza Allix Thérèse-Mirza Allix, sometimes Mirza Allix, (September 16, 1816 – September 16, 1882) was a French painter of portraits, known for her miniature paintings on enamel, porcelain and earthenware. Along with her sisters, she founded a boarding ...

(1816–1882), artist * Louis Bazire (1877–1923), politician *

Barnabé Brisson Barnabé Brisson (Latinised: Barnabas Brissonius; 1531 – 15 November 1591) was a French jurist and politician. Biography Born as the son of the king's lieutenant in Fontenay-le-Comte, Vendée, Brisson studied law in Orléans, Bourges and fin ...

(1531–1591), jurist and politician *

Mathurin Jacques Brisson Mathurin Jacques Brisson (; 30 April 1723 – 23 June 1806) was a French zoologist and natural philosophy, natural philosopher. Brisson was born on 30 April 1723 at Fontenay-le-Comte in the Vendée department of western France. Note that page 14 ...

(1723–1806),

zoologist Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the structure, embryology, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct, and how they interact with their ecosystems. Zoology is one ...

and

natural philosopher Natural philosophy or philosophy of nature (from Latin ''philosophia naturalis'') is the philosophical study of physics, that is, nature and the physical universe, while ignoring any supernatural influence. It was dominant before the developme ...

. *

Michel Crépeau Michel Crépeau (; 30 October 1930, Fontenay-le-Comte, Vendée – 30 March 1999, Paris) was a French centre-left politician. Born in 1930, barrister, he joined the Radical Party. When it split in 1972, he founded the Movement of Left Radic ...

(1930–1999),

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

Jamy Gourmaud Jamy Gourmaud (, born 17 January 1964) is a journalist well known from the educational TV show '' C'est pas sorcier'' that he presented with Frédéric Courant and Sabine Quindou and was produced by the channel France 3 from 1993 until 2014. ...

(1964–),

journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...

* Michael De Jong (1945-2018), Dutch blues musician * Frederic Mazella (1976–), an entrepreneur and funder of

BlaBlaCar BlaBlaCar is an online marketplace for carpooling headquartered in Paris. Its website and mobile apps connect driving, drivers and passengers willing to travel together between cities and share the cost of the journey, in exchange for a Commiss ...

François Viète François Viète (; 1540 – 23 February 1603), known in Latin as Franciscus Vieta, was a French people, French mathematician whose work on new algebra was an important step towards modern algebra, due to his innovative use of letters as par ...

(1540–1603),

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, mathematical structure, structure, space, Mathematica ...

Main sights

File:Fontenay le Comte - Eglise Notre-Dame (1).jpg, Notre-Dame church File:Fontenay le Comte - Eglise Saint Jean (1).jpg, Saint-Jean church File:Fontenay-le-Comte - Fontaine 4 tias.jpg, Quatre Tias' fountain File:Fontenay-le-Comte - Maison Billaud.jpg, Billaud house File:Fontenay-le-Comte - Musée.jpg, Museum File:Fontenay-le-Comte - Maison Francois Viete.jpg,

's house File:Fontenay le Comte - Tour Rivalland (1).jpg, Rivalland tower File:Château de Terre Neuve.jpg, The Château de Terre-Neuve

Twin towns - sister cities

Fontenay-le-Comte is twinned with: *

Crevillent Crevillent (; ) is a town and municipality located in the Alicante province, part of the Valencian Community, Spain. It is situated in the ''comarca'' of Baix Vinalopó, and lies at the foot of the hill range known locally as Serra de Creville ...

, Spain *

Diosig Diosig () is a commune in Bihor County, Crișana, Romania with a population of 6,816 people. It is composed of two villages, Diosig and Ianca (''Jankafalva''). The commune is located in the northwestern part of the county, on the banks of the riv ...

, Romania *

Gaoua Gaoua is a market town in southern Burkina Faso known for its superstitious values and customs. The population, rested at 45,284. (2019 census) Located in the red earth, green hills, and fast flowing streams of southwestern Burkina Faso, Gaoua is ...

, Burkina Faso *

Krotoszyn Krotoszyn (, ''Krotoshin'') is a town in west-central Poland with 29,485 inhabitants . It is the seat of Krotoszyn County in the Greater Poland Voivodeship. Founded in the late medieval period, Krotoszyn prospered as a regional center of tra ...

, Poland *

Palatine A palatine or palatinus (Latin; : ''palatini''; cf. derivative spellings below) is a high-level official attached to imperial or royal courts in Europe since Roman Empire, Roman times.

, United States