Croix des Vendéens

The Vendée War, a civil conflict between Republicans and Royalists during the French Revolution, also left its mark on the area's history.

As elsewhere in France, the Vendée saw peasant demonstrations between 1789 and 1792, but it was at the time of the levée en masse (mass recruitment for the revolutionary army) in 1793 that the Vendée rebellion was sparked off. Spread over three years, the war went through several phases and ended in early 1796. Human losses were considerable, with more than 200,000 deaths and widespread destruction.

In the Estuaire et Sillon region, the "Battle of Savenay" on 22 and 23 December 1793 put an end to the Wars of the Vendée. This last battle of the Virée de Galerne saw the destruction of the Catholic and royal army and a decisive victory for the Republican forces.

In 1881, as a duty of remembrance, a cross was erected in Savenay: the Vendéens Cross. Located in rue du Pontreau in the town centre, this stone cross with its fleur-de-lis dominates the Loire valley; inscriptions and coats of arms encircle its base. It became part of the town's heritage in 1888.

Other reminders of this battle can be seen throughout the region:
- In Prinquiau, the tomb of the Vendéens in the cemetery, where the bones of the remnants of the Vendéenne army lie, and the stele on the mound of Sem.
- In Savenay, follow the remembrance trail of the battle of Savenay, starting from the car park of the Mona Ozouf college.