Island-in Yeu

Island-with Yeu is a common French, located in the department of the the Vendée and the area Pays of the Loire.

The commune is located on the island of the same name: the island of Yeu (to be noted that, contrary in the name of the island itself, “It” and it “-” form integral part of the name of the commune). The island also constitutes the Canton of Island-in Yeu. Its inhabitants is the Îslais (and not Îliens ) or the Ogiens .

The principal localities of the commune are: Port-Joinville (Port-Breton in the past), Saint-Saver and Port-of-the-Grinding stone.

General information

The island of Yeu , originally Insula Oya or sometimes in the history Île God (in Poitevin-saintongeais Yeù ) is the French island of the coast Atlantique furthest away from the continent.

She saw mainly tourism and fishing. Although this one particularly suffered from the total ban of the gill nets drifting, the fishermen try to reconvert themselves into novel methods always targeting the “noble” species like the Thon albacore and, since 2002, blue fin tuna with new units of Thonier senneurs. The principal fishing vessels of the island are small coastal boats, sailing during the day, the largest ships, a score of boats in 2005, are mainly armed with the net for the Merlu, the Sole or the Lotte. One can also see some palangriers.

All the southern part of the island, the Wild Côte of the Island of Yeu is prohibited of construction; it comprises in particular a strong Château says “the Old man-castle”, undoubtedly dating from the 12th century, assembled on a detached rocky outcrop of cliff. It would have inspired with Hergé the castle of Ben More , in the Black Island . The island comprises many menhirs and dolmens, (stone with cups with the grinding stone).

History

Birth of the island

The island of Yeu appeared approximately 360 million years ago, towards the end of the primary era, following geological events.

End of the secondary (65 million years) until the quaternary one (1,9 million years), it underwent several processes of insularisation alternated by a fastening in the continent (bridge of Yeu). The variation of the level of the oceans at that time is the main cause of this phenomenon.

Sometimes island sometimes peninsula according to the level of the oceans, the Island of Yeu knew its continuous and ultimate insularisation around 5000 before our era. Today long of approximately 10 km on an average width of 4 km, its surface the 23 km ² borders.

The island was attached by a spit of land until approximately 7000 years ago, it remains about it the trace under the name of famous Pont of Yeu, which indicates a high rock bottom today connecting the island to the continent. It was occupied as of the Neolithic era, and the memory by its Dolmen S and its raised stones carries from there. It was then covered with forests of oaks.

Prehistory

The island has an exceptional density of megalithic traces and monuments (dolmen, menhir,…) testifying to the human presence to the Neolithic era. It is indeed at the end of the era refrigerator that the first inhabitants of the island appear, benefitting from the low level of water to reach it.

At the time of its continental fastening, small groups could settle there. The island has an exceptional density of traces (engravings) and monuments megalithic (menhirs, dolmens,…) testimonys of the human presence to the Neolithic era (- 5300 in the Vendée -3000 years before J.C.).

With the point of Châtelet the traces of a long ground hillock are, vestiges of old a " rempart".

The island of Yeu was undoubtedly more one place of worship that a habitat, for part of prehistory. In 200 before JC, the Romans unload on the island and build fear to protect the Board with Puare.

Roman epoch

Few elements of the Roman epoch: the medals of the emperors Trajan and Adrien () found on the southern littoral give rise to think that the coastal configuration could be used with slackening as Mediterranean fleets.

The Middle Ages

The monastic chronicles say to us that at the 6th century, holy Martin de Vertou came évangéliser the island and to build the first church of Saint-Saver and that the monks of Saint-Colomban come from the Irish abbey of Bangor would have founded the first monastery dedicated to Hilaire saint. The foundation was ruined at the 9th century by the Norman ones.

The island burnt and is plundered by the Normands in 846.

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Monks of Marmoutier (close to Turns) and of Saint-Cyprien of Poitiers build a new monastery known as of Saint-Etienne on the tops of Ker-Châlon and contribute to the construction of the parish church of Saint-Saver.

The Island of Yeu, seigniory then marquisat with, belongs successively to big families which deploy, according to the times, a defense system intended to protect the population from the many foreign incursions (Spanish, Dutch, English).

It is at the 11th century that a castle is built, but out of wood. The 14th century (1356) should be waited to see the appearance of the stone castle built on a separate rock of Southern cliff by a broad ditch and which remains still nowadays.

Multiple invasions (in majority English) took place between. One retains this period the seat of the castle in 1550 by the Spaniards. Louis XIV ruins finally the castle so that it does not fall between the hands from the enemy.

This island profited as of the 14th century from the insular franknesses, favourable with the development of smuggling. Louis XVI (1754-1793) repurchases, in 1785, the insular seigniory.

At the 17th century, as on the island of Bouin, îlais them make push their own seedlings of tobacco. The clandestine trade became so flourishing that they had to launch out in the massive importation. Companies of " forgery tabatiers" structure themselves, implying all the layers of the company îlienne to control the traffic. The boats, by flotillas from go away towards North to bring back " bon" tobacco stored then in warehouses.

At the time of the War of the Vendée during the French revolution, the insurrectionists led by Cart in vain awaited the help of the Britanniques, which had installed their base in the Island of Yeu. At the end of the year 1795, the count d' Artois (future Charles X), representing the royalists combined to the English, wants to unload in France to help Cart, but the six thousand English soldiers remained confined on the island of Yeu where they had unloaded, then made half-turn. The republicans crushed the chouannery.

As of the end of the 18th century, islais them develop the high-sea fishing with the Thon albacore, and will make Port-Joinville the first port Thonier of the Atlantic coast.

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The citadel or strong of Pierre-Lifting, being able to lodge a garrison of 400 men, was built, under the second empire, in the place of two mills of the 19th century, themselves built on a site megalithic where a menhir of more than seven meters in height was. the military governor during the First World War was Joseph Ecomard, of holy pazanne, in homage has him, the last military governor of the island was Charles-Henri Ecomard with the beginning of the year 1980. This citadel dominating Port-Joinville, designed to be used as littoral defense on several occasions accommodated prisoners of state of which most famous was the marshal Philippe Pétain, chief of the Vichy government at the time of the Second world war.

Currency

In altum lumen and perfugium (Light and refuge in open sea)

Codes

The island of Yeu has as codes:

YE, according to the List of the maritime districts

Administration

Maurice Coustillère

Demography

Monuments and places of the island of Yeu

Port-Joinville: Its original name is Port-Breton (official name until the middle of the 19th century). It is the principal locality of the island, with its harbor station and fishing port. It is here that one unloads when one comes in boat. One finds the town hall, the tourist office there, and of many restaurants, coffees and shops.
the Citadel, or Extremely of Pierre-Lifting: it is a fort of square plan, with in its center a vast court. Construction lasted 8 years. The citadel was displaced in 1889, and was used on several occasions as prison (the most famous prisoner is the Maréchal Pétain, which remained in the fort of November 1945 until its in July 1951 death day before). Today, the citadel is used as place of leisures with the commune of the Island of Yeu.
the Old man-Castle: it is a castle-extremely probably dating from the 12th century. It is built on a rocky outcrop of the southern part of the island.
the point and the Headlight of the Point of the Corbels: the point of the Corbels is located at the end is island. The wind is there always very strong. One finds a headlight there, builds in 1860, destroyed during the Second world war then rebuilt.
the Port of the Grinding stone: it is a small fishing port, located in a split at the south of the island, dominated by a small very white vault. It is one of the most visited places island. Higher the village of the Grinding stone is. This port was useful also basic for the smugglers: its access in form of L is invisible since the sea.
the Point of the Goal: it is located at the west of the island. One finds there a foghorn (connected to the Large-Headlight) which, with turret-marks out located on the shelf of the Chiens Perrins, ensures the safety of the ships in this danger zone.
the Dolmens of Small Fradets (or the Gournaise) and of the Board in Puare: they are two pretty megalithic tombs probably dating from the millenium. That of Small Fradets preserved only part of its structure, whereas that of the Board with Puare is intact (it belongs to the transeptées tombs of Pornic).
the Headlight of the Island of Yeu or large headlight: it is located at Small-Crowd, on one of the highest points of the island. Its tower is square, white and high 29 meters. Its fire carries to 29 marine miles. It is one of the principal landing lights of the Atlantic Côte. In the beginning, it measured 22 meters and had been built by the engineer of the Plantier Bridge-and-Roadways in 1830. It was then destroyed in August 1944, before being rebuilt such as one knows it today in 1950 by the architect Maurice Lasting and engineer Conte.

Twinnings

Bored, Canada

Personalities related to the commune

Holy Martin de Vertou which would have évangélisé the island at the 6th century.
Philippe Pétain, dead on July 23rd, 1951 with Port-Joinville during its internment on the island of Yeu. It is also buried there.
Joseph Ecomard, military governor of the island, during the First World War

Painters of the island of Yeu

The island of Yeu inspired by many artists and in particular Jean Rigaud, 1912-1999, official painter of the Navy, Monique Corsi and Jacques Brachet, which had a house on the island, and their colleague and friendly Maurice Boitel.

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