Machecoul

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Machecoul
The town hall in Machecoul
The town hall in Machecoul
Coat of arms of Machecoul
Location of Machecoul
Machecoul is located in France
Machecoul
Machecoul
Coordinates: 46°59′38″N 1°49′18″W / 46.9939°N 1.8217°W / 46.9939; -1.8217Coordinates: 46°59′38″N 1°49′18″W / 46.9939°N 1.8217°W / 46.9939; -1.8217
CountryFrance
RegionPays de la Loire
DepartmentLoire-Atlantique
ArrondissementNantes
CantonMachecoul
CommuneMachecoul-Saint-Même
Area
1
66.62 km2 (25.72 sq mi)
Population
 (2017)[1]
6,268
 • Density94/km2 (240/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal code
44270
Elevation0–36 m (0–118 ft)
(avg. 5 m or 16 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Machecoul (Breton: Machikoul) is a former commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Machecoul-Saint-Même.[2] Its 5,732 inhabitants are called Machecoulais. It was the site of First Massacre of Machecoul, the opening of the War in the Vendée in 1793.

Geography[]

The commune of Machecoul is surrounded by the following communes:

Population[]

Historical population
YearPop.±%
20065,732—    
20075,771+0.7%
20085,811+0.7%
20095,872+1.0%
20105,914+0.7%
20115,950+0.6%
20126,013+1.1%
20136,076+1.0%

Sights[]

  • Gallo-Roman Wood Lighthouse ("Phare à Bois").
  • 8th-century Merovingian sarcophagi.
  • Many old mills.
  • 11th-century Notre-Dame-de-la-Chaume abbey.
  • Former 13th-century Romanesque church.
  • La Trinité church (1881).
  • 11th-century Cahouët Bridge ("Pont de Cahouët"), wrongly called the "Roman Bridge" ("Pont Romain") – it does not date from Roman times. Small bridge over the river Falleron.
  • Castle of Machecoul, also known as "Castle of Gilles de Rais" ("Château de Gilles de Rais") or "Bluebeard's castle" ("Château de Barbe-Bleue"): close to the town centre are the ruins of the 13th-century castle of the town, once owned by the infamous child-murderer Gilles de Rais (1404–1440). Nowadays, on summer evenings, one can partake of a son et lumière show telling his story.
  • The "Auditoire" (18th-century). A former court's main hall (central part), which was built in 1755.
  • The Lime Kiln ("Four à Chaux") (1857). Located on Saint-Michel Island, rich in limestone. Restored in 2001.
  • Les Halles (1885).
  • The Hippodrome des Chaumes (1885).
  • The former Segin Distillery (1886).

Economy[]

On the edge of town is the Gitane bicycle factory. Fans of the Tour de France will recall the Breton cyclist Bernard Hinault riding for them in the 1970s.

Machecoul has a weekly street market where one can buy roasted poulet noir, the black chicken of Challans.

Twin towns[]

Machecoul is twinned with:

People[]

Machecoul was the birthplace of:

See also[]

  • Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department

References[]



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