Soullans

Soullans
region	Pays de la Loire
Department	Vendée
Arrondissement	Les Sables-d'Olonne
Canton	Saint-Jean-de-Monts
Community association	Ocean Marais de Monts
Coordinates	46 ° 48 ′  N , 1 ° 54 ′  W Coordinates: 46 ° 48 ′  N , 1 ° 54 ′  W
height	0-23 m
surface	41.09 km 2
Residents	4,221 (January 1, 2017)
Population density	103 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code	85300
INSEE code	85284
Website	Soullans
Church Saint-Hilaire

Soullans is a western French village with 4,221 inhabitants (as of January 1 2017) in the department of Vendée in the region of Pays de la Loire .

location

The town of Soullans is located about 10 km from the Atlantic coast or about 20 km from the Île de Noirmoutier at an altitude of about 3 m above sea level. d. M. The next larger city is Challans, about 6 km (driving distance) to the northeast . The place has a train station on the Nantes - Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie railway line .

Population development

year	1800	1851	1901	1954	1999	2013
Residents	1.961	1,697	2,345	2,063	3,425	4,202

Despite the phylloxera crisis in viticulture and the increasing mechanization of agriculture , the number of inhabitants - with the exception of a brief decline after the Second World War - has grown steadily.

economy

The place and its surroundings were dominated by agriculture for centuries; most people lived on a self-sufficient basis ; In the village itself, various craft and service professions developed . In the late Middle Ages and early modern times, viticulture was promoted, but - after the phylloxera crisis in the late 19th century - was almost stopped. Since the 1960s tourism has played a not insignificant role in the economic life of the municipality in the form of renting out holiday homes ( gîtes ).

history

The place surrounded by swamps towards the sea already existed in the late Middle Ages; the drainage of the swamps made it possible to expand the arable land, so that the place grew more and more. In the 16th century he was a castellany .

Attractions

Menhir Pierre-Levée

See also: List of Monuments historiques in Soullans

• The parish church of Saint-Hilaire in neo-Gothic style with a pointed stone helmet was built between 1898 and 1900. The three naves are vaulted with ribs .
• On a stepped round base in the cemetery there is a Hosanna cross , which can only be assigned to the 16th century. It has been recognized as a monument historique since 1926 .

outside

• A 3.50 m high menhir , the so-called Pierre-Levée , possibly transported here by natural forces but erected by human hands , stands in a wooded area about 1.5 km northeast of the village; it has been recognized as a monument historique since 1926 . Apart from a few rocks on the coast, it is one of the few natural stones in the vicinity.
• The Château de Retail dates from the 17th century; However, its current condition corresponds to a largely new building from the 19th century. It is privately owned.

Personalities

• Maria Euphrasia Pelletier (1796–1868), French nun and saint

literature

• Le Patrimoine des Communes de la Vendée. Flohic Editions, Volume 2, Paris 2001, ISBN 2-84234-118-X , pp. 1117-1123.
• Sylvie Monniotte: Soullans - des origines à nos jours. Mairie de Soullans 2011.

Web links

Commons : Soullans  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Soullans, church - photos + brief information (French)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Soullans - Viticulture
2. ↑ Croix hosannière, Soullans in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
3. ↑ Menhir dit de Pierre-Levée, Soullans in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)