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La Bruffiere
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.
Restaurants; Auberge du Cheval Blanc, 18 Place Jeanne d'Arc. Tel 02 52 34 16 06.
Hotel Restaurant des Sports. 14
rue Nantes. Tel. 02 51 42 50 13.
Auberge des Trois Provinces. 02 41 46 57 59.
Taxis; Taxis D. Retailleau. 13, rue Doctor Mignen, Montaigu. Tel. 02 51 94 28 44
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