Le Puy-Notre-Dame
Encyclopedia
Le Puy-Notre-Dame or Le Puy is a commune
in the Maine-et-Loire
department in western France
.
The village is built on the hill of Puy.
Its inhabitants are known as Puechens.
Le Puy (Podio beatae Mariae in the 7th century had become known as Puy-la-Montagne by 1793 and the hill of Puy as Mary's Mountain. William 9th, Duke of Aquitaine
is reputed to have brought back a waistband of the Virgin Mary from the Crusades
and deposited it in the church. His granddaughter Eleanor of Aquitaine
founded a collegial church to honour the relic which, according to legend, facilitated pregnancies and male offspring. Louis XI
founded a chapter about 1480 and this became a site of pilgrimage
the Sunday after 8 September, the Nativity. The relic can still be viewed here.
The town became a stop on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela
(17th century houses used by the pilgims still exist).
Its location between the territories of the Counts of Anjou
and Aquitaine lent it strategic importance and traces of an encircling town wall remain.
The Cave Saint-Maur in Sanziers is well worth a visit for its mushroom production.
Local A.O.C wines are Anjou, Saumur
, and sparkling Saumur.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Maine-et-Loire
Maine-et-Loire
Maine-et-Loire is a department in west-central France, in the Pays de la Loire region.- History :Maine-et-Loire is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. Originally it was called Mayenne-et-Loire, but its name was changed to Maine-et-Loire in 1791....
department in western France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
The village is built on the hill of Puy.
Its inhabitants are known as Puechens.
History
Protohistoric traces have been found.Le Puy (Podio beatae Mariae in the 7th century had become known as Puy-la-Montagne by 1793 and the hill of Puy as Mary's Mountain. William 9th, Duke of Aquitaine
Duke of Aquitaine
The Duke of Aquitaine ruled the historical region of Aquitaine under the supremacy of Frankish, English and later French kings....
is reputed to have brought back a waistband of the Virgin Mary from the Crusades
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
and deposited it in the church. His granddaughter Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages. As well as being Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, she was queen consort of France and of England...
founded a collegial church to honour the relic which, according to legend, facilitated pregnancies and male offspring. Louis XI
Louis XI of France
Louis XI , called the Prudent , was the King of France from 1461 to 1483. He was the son of Charles VII of France and Mary of Anjou, a member of the House of Valois....
founded a chapter about 1480 and this became a site of pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
the Sunday after 8 September, the Nativity. The relic can still be viewed here.
The town became a stop on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...
(17th century houses used by the pilgims still exist).
Its location between the territories of the Counts of Anjou
Anjou
Anjou is a former county , duchy and province centred on the city of Angers in the lower Loire Valley of western France. It corresponds largely to the present-day département of Maine-et-Loire...
and Aquitaine lent it strategic importance and traces of an encircling town wall remain.
Places
- Subterranean refuges exist under the town and Sanziers;
- Presshouse at the Château du Lys in Sanziers;
- Subterranean dovecote at La Hupponnière;
- Cavier mill in ruins;
- Ancient Franciscan convent chapel (barn).
Agriculture
Local agricultural production is mixed with vineyards (15 km²), orchards and market gardening taking place alongside pasture and woodlands. Beekeeping also takes place.The Cave Saint-Maur in Sanziers is well worth a visit for its mushroom production.
Local A.O.C wines are Anjou, Saumur
Saumur (wine)
Saumur is a French wine region located in the Loire Valley. The region is noted for sparkling wines produced by the traditional method, and for red wines made primarily from Cabernet Franc...
, and sparkling Saumur.
Administration
| Date of election | Identity | Capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Jean-luc Clayes | ||
See also
- Communes of the Maine-et-Loire départementCommunes of the Maine-et-Loire départementThe following is a list of the 363 communes of the Maine-et-Loire département in France. Communauté d'agglomération d'Angers, created in 2001. Communauté d'agglomération du Choletais, created in 2001....
- Le PUY NOTRE DAME : http://lepuynotredame.blogspot.com/
External links (in French, unless otherwise indicated)
- Tourism website
- Town Council website
- Le Puy-Notre-Dame on the Institut Géographique National site
- Le Puy-Notre-Dame on the Institut Géographique National site
- Map of Le Puy-Notre-Dame
- Weather for Le Puy-Notre-Dame
- Le Puy-Notre-Dame on the Quid site
- Map of Le Puy-Notre-Dame on Mapquest
- Map of Le Puy-Notre-Dame on Michelin
- Le Puy-Notre-Dame on the map of France
- Closest communes to Le Puy-Notre-Dame
- Closest towns to Le Puy-Notre-Dame