The history of the town
of Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez
In west-central France, on the Côte de la Lumière in the Vendée department of the Pays de la Loire region, lies a beautiful town called Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez. Opposite the Île-d’Yeu, with its fine sandy beaches ideal for holidaymakers and water sports activities, it lies precisely between Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie and Saint-Jean-de-Monts. With a surface area of 48.9 km2, the town has a population of around 11,631, according to the latest population census. It borders the communes of Le Fenouiller, Le Perrier and Notre-Dame-de-Riez. It is bordered by around 10 km of coastline (the Atlantic coast), making it a seaside resort. This brief presentation is not the real face of the town. Indeed, Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez has evolved over time, and many events have shaped its history. What’s more, great people have marked the town’s history since its very beginnings. Knowing the history of this town is another way to discover it.
Saint-Hilaire also boasts cycle paths along the Vendée coastline for those who love cycling.
Ideally located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, Saint-Hilaire boasts magnificent beaches.
Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez’s key characters
The history of Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez has not been written by itself. No less important people have contributed to it. These include :
- Louis XIII became famous for his historic military victory of 1622 on the island of Rié;
- Louis du VERGIER (1777-1815), who was very active in medieval battles;
- Henry SIMON, etc.
In the course of their conquest, these different characters passed through places that today make up the heritage of the town of Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez.
The historical heritage of Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez
Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez has a rich and diverse historical heritage. These include
- The former religious community of Saint Ambroise: in fact, Ambroise was one of Saint Hilaire’s disciples. This community disappeared during the French Revolution;
- Notre-Dame-de-Pitié chapel: built in 1610. Today, it is being completely restored;
- Sainte Marie de l’Océan chapel: built by the RENAUD family in Sion in 1900. Thirty years later, it was transformed into a residence (Villa Myriam). Today, it houses the tourist office;
- The district and former fishing port of Sion sur l’Océan ;
- Saint Hilaire church;
- Salt marshes ;
- Devil’s Hole;
- Les plages des Demoiselles, etc.
It should be noted that Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez has no monuments or historic sites listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. The presence of these monuments does not prevent the town from being dynamic. What activities and events are organized in the town?
Key events in the history of Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez
In its early history, the town of Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez was an island (rié). The land on this island contained a bronze mine dating back to ancient times. Towards the end of the 17th century, the people of Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez, Notre-Dame-de-Riez and Croix-de-Vie were living in isolation, on isolated stretches of land in the Bas-Poitou region. In medieval times, the island of Rié was one of the region’s great seigneuries. Several events marked this period for the town of Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez. In 1622, having assembled a strong army and applied a sound military strategy worthy of modern times, King Louis XIII conquered the island of Rié. This was the island’s greatest military triumph of the period. Until the 1800s, several dynasties succeeded one another. Many other battles took place on the island of Rié during this period. During the French Revolution, in 1789 to be precise, the island was named “Révolution”. A few years later, in 1793, the town was renamed Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez. Since 1930, the town has undergone no administrative changes.
Some festive events that make this Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez special
Here are some of the events that make life in Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez more convivial:
- The Green Lizard Festival takes place in mid-August;
- The town festival on Ascension Day;
- The Festival des Petites Rues at the end of October, etc.