{"id":4363,"date":"2026-04-29T12:51:50","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T10:51:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hcpderie.fr\/?p=4363"},"modified":"2026-04-29T13:16:39","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T11:16:39","slug":"de-louis-xiii-a-un-lotissement-de-75-hectares-ils-racontent-400-ans-dhistoires-a-la-plage-des-demoiselles-en-vendee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hcpderie.fr\/?p=4363","title":{"rendered":"De Louis XIII \u00e0 un lotissement de 75\u00a0hectares, ils racontent 400\u00a0ans d\u2019histoires \u00e0 la plage des Demoiselles en Vend\u00e9e"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\n\t\n\t\t\tDe Louis XIII \u00e0 un lotissement de 75 hectares, ils racontent 400 ans d\u2019histoires \u00e0 la plage des Demoiselles en Vend\u00e9e<\/strong>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u00c0 l\u2019occasion du centenaire du lotissement des Demoiselles, \u00e0 cheval sur les communes de Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez et Saint-Jean-de-Monts (Vend\u00e9e), deux passionn\u00e9s retracent dans un ouvrage l\u2019histoire de ce lieu qui fut le th\u00e9\u00e2tre d\u2019une grande bataille m\u00e9di\u00e9vale, d\u2019un camp d\u2019aviation am\u00e9ricain et du tourisme baln\u00e9aire.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBernard Pouvreau et Patrick Avrillas, co-auteurs du livre sur La Plage des Demoiselles. | OUEST-FRANCE\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Le 17 avril 1926, le pr\u00e9fet de Vend\u00e9e signait l\u2019arr\u00eat\u00e9 qui autorisait la construction du lotissement des Demoiselles : un \u00e9norme projet urbain sur 75 hectares longeant 1 km en front de mer, \u00e0 cheval sur les communes de Saint-Jean-de-Monts et Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez, en Vend\u00e9e. Mais avant cette \u00e9volution contemporaine, la plage des Demoiselles a connu bien des \u00e9v\u00e9nements dont certains avec une forte port\u00e9e historique.

Un invit\u00e9 de marque
La plage des Demoiselles a d\u2019abord accueilli Louis XIII en 1622<\/a>. C\u2019est en effet \u00e0 cet endroit que d\u00e9bouchait le fleuve la Besse que le roi de France a travers\u00e9 avec son arm\u00e9e dans le but de combattre les protestants r\u00e9fugi\u00e9s sur l\u2019\u00eele de Ri\u00e9. Une bataille gagn\u00e9e qui a particip\u00e9 \u00e0 sa renomm\u00e9e. Il y avait au Moyen-\u00c2ge un port aux Demoiselles par lequel transitaient les bateaux transportant du sel et du bl\u00e9<\/strong>, ajoute Patrick Avrillas, pr\u00e9sident d\u2019Histoire, culture et patrimoine du Pays de Ri\u00e9 et co-auteur du livre \u00ab La plage des Demoiselles \u00bb.

Les Sammies en entra\u00eenement
300 ans plus tard, en 1918, l\u2019arm\u00e9e am\u00e9ricaine installe un camp d\u2019aviation sur la ferme du Champ Gaillard<\/a>, l\u00e0 aussi \u00e0 cheval sur Saint-Hilaire et Saint-Jean. L\u2019arm\u00e9e cherchait un endroit pr\u00e8s de la mer pour s\u2019entra\u00eener au tir a\u00e9rien et un terrain suffisamment plat.<\/strong> Le camp sera d\u00e9mantel\u00e9 en mars 1919. Quelques ann\u00e9es plus tard, en pleine Seconde guerre mondiale, un avion am\u00e9ricain y atterrit de nouveau mais sans son pilote qui s\u2019\u00e9tait \u00e9ject\u00e9 avant.

Le plus grand lotissement de Vend\u00e9e
Entre-deux guerres, la plage des Demoiselles suscite l\u2019int\u00e9r\u00eat d\u2019hommes d\u2019affaires alors que le tourisme baln\u00e9aire se d\u00e9veloppe depuis la fin du XIXe<\/sup> si\u00e8cle dans le secteur. Deux s\u0153urs sans enfant, les demoiselles<\/strong> Chailloux, l\u00e9gueront les dunes qu\u2019elles poss\u00e8dent \u00e0 leur cousin Valentin Gu\u00e9rin. Ce dernier vendra 75 hectares en 1925 \u00e0 un lotisseur angevin, Th\u00e9odore Maturin Charpentier qui vendra 859 parcelles,<\/strong> raconte Bernard Pouvreau, co-auteur du livre et membre d\u2019Arexpo (association de recherche et d\u2019expression pour la culture populaire en Vend\u00e9e). \u00c0 l\u2019\u00e9poque, c\u2019\u00e9tait un \u00e9v\u00e9nement car c\u2019\u00e9tait le plus grand lotissement de Vend\u00e9e.<\/strong>

\u00c0 cheval sur deux communes
C\u2019est aussi probablement le seul lotissement du d\u00e9partement \u00e0 cheval sur deux communes ! La fronti\u00e8re entre Saint-Hilaire et Saint-Jean ne suit pas une route mais l\u2019ancien lit de la Besse. Il y a des maisons qui sont travers\u00e9es par la fronti\u00e8re ! Cela a cr\u00e9\u00e9 des probl\u00e8mes pour les imp\u00f4ts, les \u00e9lections, il a fallu r\u00e9gulariser tout \u00e7a.<\/strong>Le lotisseur a aussi manqu\u00e9 \u00e0 ses engagements en ne cr\u00e9ant pas de routes dans son quartier. Ce sont finalement les syndicats de propri\u00e9taires eux-m\u00eames qui les paieront avec l\u2019aide du D\u00e9partement et de pr\u00eats, notamment communaux\u2026Outre de nombreuses anecdotes, l\u2019ouvrage recense plus de 200 illustrations r\u00e9unissant des documents cartographiques et iconographiques exceptionnels ainsi qu\u2019une riche collection de cartes postales et de photographies. Pour commander le livre \u00ab La plage des Demoiselles\u00e9, aux \u00e9ditions La Geste (35 \u20ac) qui sera pr\u00eat entre le 5 et 10 mai, vous pouvez joindre les auteurs par mail \u00e0 b.pouvreau@wanadoo.fr et patrick.avrillas@wanadoo.fr

Des animations pour le centenaire des Demoiselles
Pour comm\u00e9morer l\u2019histoire de la plage des Demoiselles, les deux auteurs ont mont\u00e9 une exposition, reprenant des \u00e9l\u00e9ments de leur ouvrage qui se tiendra du 2 au 20 mai<\/strong> dans la mairie annexe des Demoiselles, \u00e0 Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez.Vendredi 1er<\/sup> mai, \u00e0 18 h<\/strong>, l\u2019association HCP de Ri\u00e9 inaugurera aussi un monument aux morts en m\u00e9moire des vingt-huit aviateurs am\u00e9ricains d\u00e9c\u00e9d\u00e9s sur le camp, avec un chemin de la m\u00e9moire qui retrace l\u2019histoire du camp.Samedi 2 et dimanche 3 mai de 10 h \u00e0 17 h,<\/strong> l\u2019association Les Soldats de plomb reconstituera un camp militaire de la Premi\u00e8re guerre mondiale, c\u2019est \u00e0 voir car les reconstitutions de la Premi\u00e8re guerre sont moins courantes que celles de la Seconde guerre mondiale<\/strong>, pointe Patrick Avrillas.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOuest-France <\/a>Publi\u00e9 le 05\/04\/2026\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\n\t\t\tEnglish version\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\n\t\t\tFrom Louis XIII to a 75-hectare housing development, they recount 400 years of history at Les Demoiselles beach in the Vend\u00e9e<\/strong>

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On 17 April 1926, the Prefect of Vend\u00e9e signed the decree authorising the construction of the Demoiselles housing estate: a massive urban development project covering 75 hectares along a 1-kilometre stretch of seafront, straddling the municipalities of Saint-Jean-de-Monts and Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez in the Vend\u00e9e. But prior to this modern development, Les Demoiselles beach had witnessed many events, some of which were of great historical significance.

A distinguished guest
Les Demoiselles beach first welcomed Louis XIII in 1622<\/a>. It was here that the River Besse flowed into the sea, which the King of France crossed with his army to fight the Protestant refugees on the island of Ri\u00e9. A victory that contributed to his fame. In the Middle Ages, there was a port at Les Demoiselles through which ships carrying salt and wheat passed<\/strong>, adds Patrick Avrillas, president of Histoire, culture et patrimoine du Pays de Ri\u00e9 and co-author of the book \u201cLa plage des Demoiselles\u201d.

The Sammies in training
300 years later, in 1918, the US Army set up an airfield on the Champ Gaillard farm<\/a>, also straddling Saint-Hilaire and Saint-Jean. The army was looking for a location near the sea to practise aerial firing and for sufficiently flat terrain.<\/strong> The camp was dismantled in March 1919. A few years later, in the midst of the Second World War, an American aircraft landed there again, but without its pilot, who had ejected beforehand.

The largest housing estate in the Vend\u00e9e
Between the wars, Les Demoiselles beach attracted the interest of businessmen, whilst seaside tourism had been developing in the area since the end of the 19thcentury<\/sup>. Two childless sisters, the demoiselles<\/strong> Chailloux, bequeathed the dunes they owned to their cousin Valentin Gu\u00e9rin. He sold 75 hectares in 1925 to a property developer from Angers, Th\u00e9odore Maturin Charpentier, who sold 859 plots, <\/strong>explains Bernard Pouvreau, co-author of the book and member of Arexpo (Association for Research and Expression of Popular Culture in the Vend\u00e9e). At the time, this was a major event as it was the largest housing development in the Vend\u00e9e. <\/strong>

Straddling two municipalities
It is also probably the only housing development in the department that straddles two municipalities! The boundary between Saint-Hilaire and Saint-Jean does not follow a road but the old bed of the Besse. There are houses that are split by the boundary! This created problems for tax purposes and elections; it all had to be sorted out.<\/strong>The developer also failed to meet his commitments by not building roads in the neighbourhood. In the end, it was the homeowners\u2019 associations themselves who paid for them, with help from the Department and loans, particularly from the local council\u2026 As well as numerous anecdotes, the book features over 200 illustrations, bringing together exceptional cartographic and iconographic documents, as well as a rich collection of postcards and photographs. To order the book \u201cLa plage des Demoiselles\u201d, published by La Geste (\u20ac35), which will be available between 5 and 10 May, you can contact the authors by email at b.pouvreau@wanadoo.fr and patrick. avrillas@wanadoo.fr

Events to mark the centenary of Les Demoiselles
To commemorate the history of Les Demoiselles beach, the two authors have put together an exhibition featuring elements from their book, which will run from 2 to 20 May<\/strong> at the Les Demoiselles town hall annexe in Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez. On Friday 1st<\/sup> May, at 6 pm<\/strong>, the HCP association of Ri\u00e9 will also unveil a war memorial in memory of the twenty-eight American airmen who died at the camp, alongside a \u2018path of remembrance\u2019 tracing the camp\u2019s history. On Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd May from 10 am to 5 pm, <\/strong>the Les Soldats de plomb association will recreate a First World War military camp, which is well worth seeing as First World War re-enactments are less common than those of the Second World War<\/strong>, points out Patrick Avrillas.

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De Louis XIII \u00e0 un lotissement de 75 hectares, ils racontent 400 ans d\u2019histoires \u00e0 la plage des Demoiselles en Vend\u00e9e \u00c0 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