La Bruffiere, in the Haut Bocage. Vendee.

Situated on the banks of Sèvre Nantaise river in the Haut Bocage, la Bruffiere has seen human settlement since the Stone Age. The first Bruffièriens probably settled on the banks of the Sevre Nantaise. Several stone tools of the "Paleolithic" and "Neolithic" periods have been recovered from the River, and a Bronze Age grave circa 1800BC has also been unearthed on the edge of Sèvre Nantaise
With the coming of the Romans the "pictons" who had been the celtic tribe that had settled in the area were integrated with the people who populated the area around Tiffauges. The roman period saw a great deal of construction work such as the paved road leading from Bapaume (la Bruffiere) to the road linking Durinum (St. George Montague) and Tiffauges via Saint -Symphorien.
Recent aerial surveys have also revealed the sites of a dozen native farms. During the work of bypassing the village of Bruffière (September 2001 and July 2002), excavations at the site of Bretonnière by archaeologists of the DRAC, have led to the discovery of three pottery kilns, and well remains from the second century.
During the early Middle Ages there were incessant quarrels between the Britons, Franks and Visigoths. The result was that in 983 they created buffer areas "Les Marches”. Separating Brittany and Poitou. The Haut Marches consist of the communes of Cugand, Boussay, Gétigné and Bruffière which was their capital until the revolution of 1789.

The first mention of the commune was in a charter of 1287 at which time the village was built around the "Coucy" the facade of which still stands today. The original simple wooden fortress erected to oppose the invasions of the Vikings. Chateau Echasserie, a fortress of the 12th to 14th centuries was the property of the Charbonneau one of the oldest families of Poitou, who succeed one another for 15 generations from 1250 to 1738. The chateau and all the surrounding farms were burned during the Wars of Vendée. Only parts of the chateau remains from this era, the great tower of Guet (twelfth century), the square tower (fourteenth century) and Tower Chandelier (sixteenth century). Taken over by Louis-Francois Richard de la Vergne, it was then inherited by his son, the future Cardinal Richard (1819-1908), archbishop of Paris. The castle is open to the public during Heritage Open Days every year.

La Bruffiere and the Wars of the Vendée. At the beginning of the conflict, March 13, 1793, the residents killed the first Lord Mayor Charles Serventeau l'Echasserie because he supported the revolution. They joined the army of the Vendée Center under the command of Sapinaud Royand. In January 1796, General Charrette was led into a trap at "La Grange" north of the village, from which he escaped after taking heavy casualties.
The revolt caused the devastation of the population of la Bruffiere: There were 3000 inhabitants before the uprising and only 726 left in 1826. The nineteenth century saw the emergence of la Bruffiere from the ruins and they began major operations; digging of roads, the construction of two bridges on the Sèvre Nantais, new schools, and the moving of the cemetery. Finally, a new church, a masterpiece of Roman-Byzantine style, was built in 29 months (1889-1891).
The Area around La Bruffiere is ideal for all outdoor activities including walking, cycling, canoeing and fishing.
Fishing,
With more than 7 km of river, the fishermen are well looked after, the Association "the Gardon Boussiron" maintains the banks and allows for annual stocking of different types of fish. The fish found in these waters include: carp, tench, eels, roach, gudgeon, pike, perch and catfish ... fishing maps are issued at the offices of tobacco at Bruffière & Boussay.

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