Savenay (; ''Savenneg'' in Breton) is a town (administratively a commune) in the

Loire-Atlantique Loire-Atlantique (; br, Liger-Atlantel; before 1957: ''Loire-Inférieure'', br, Liger-Izelañ, link=no) is a department in Pays de la Loire on the west coast of France, named after the river Loire and the Atlantic Ocean. It had a population ...

department in western

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

which is part of 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. It is located on the Sillon de Bretagne (a mountain range defining the southern part of Brittany) and overlooks the marshes of the Loire river, seven kilometers to its south. Under the Old Regime, it was part of the province of Brittany.

Geography

Savenay is in the west of the Loire-Atlantic, just north of the Loire estuary. It is 28 km east of Saint-Nazaire and the coast and 40 km from Nantes to its south east. It has good access by both car and train to both cities as well as elsewhere in the region. Towns close by include La Chapelle-Launay at 2.7 km, Prinquiau at 5.6 km,

Bouée Bouée (; br, Bozeg) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas r ...

at 6 km, Lavau-sur-Loire at 7.4 km, Campbon at 10.4 km, Malville at 11.1 km, Quilly at 13.3 km.

Climate

Savenay climate is, like the rest of the Loire-Atlantique, a temperate oceanic climate. This climate is heavily influenced by the estuary of the Loire. Winters are mild (min 3 °C / Max 10 °C) and summers are mild (12 °C min / max 24 °C). Snowfall is rare. Rain is frequent (113 days per year of precipitation), with annual precipitation averaging about 743 mm, however rainfall is quite variable from one year to another. The average sunshine is 1826 hours per year. The presence of the Sillon de Bretagne, however, causes some local variations in the climate, with marsh areas generally colder than the rest of the town. This area is also often shrouded by fog in the winter.

Businesses and commerce

In 2006, there were 366 companies in the area (excluding agriculture). The overwhelming majority (87%) were in trade and services. 92% of them were establishments with fewer than 10 employees. These establishments accounted for 1,691 salaried positions with an average of 4.62 per employee. In the agricultural sector, 44 farms make use of the 1562 hectares of farmland (in 2000) with cattle ranching dominating the agricultural activity.

History

The Battle of Savenay on 23 December 1793 was the last, decisive battle of the

Revolt in the Vendée Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

during the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

. In this battle the forces of the

royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governm ...

counter-revolutionaries were irrevocably shattered. During the first world war Savenay was home to a military hospital built by the American Army. As part of the hospital's infrastructure, a local stream was damned creating the Mabille Valley Lake. The damn is still in place and the lake has become a popular recreation spot.

Population

Sports

The town has a stadium, gymnasium, leisure center, golf course and racetrack. Tennis courts, swimming pool, tree-climbing site and fitness trail are also located in Savenay. Many other sports are available, such as cycling, football, basketball, weightlifting, handball, judo, karate, aikido, badminton, horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking, paintball, etc..

References

External links

Ville de Savenay website

Weather in Savenay
Communes of Loire-Atlantique {{LoireAtlantique-geo-stub