Tourist Information, Vendee History, Accommodation, Photos, Reviews, Maps,
Petosse
Petosse is
situated just 8kms from Fontenay-le-Comte in the south Vendee. It is
easily reached from both the N148 and the D949 on the D30.
It lies in the middle of the lucon-fontenay plain and agriculture is its
main industry, there is a farmers shop that sells local melons and
fresh vegetable during the summer season.
St.Julien church in the centre of the village dates from 1003 when
GuillaumeV Count de Poitou gave the land to the Abbaye de Maillezais. In
1568 it was burnt down by the Protestants from La Rochelle, it was
reconstructed at the end of the 16th century.
The caves below the church which can be visited, were used as a refuge
from Normand invaders during the middle ages. It consists of caves and
passages.
The legend of the Cat with Iron shoes is reflected in the village emblem
and a stone carving high up on the wall of the naive. It in fact has
nothing to do with cats in iron shoes.
This story is still current among the villagers of Pétosse: a few years
ago, there still existed at Pétosse the 'Chat Ferré' Inn. Don't imagine
that the story is anything to do with domestic cats, but "Chats-Garous"
(literally Were-Cats) or sorcerers who dressed in cat skins and shod
their sabots (clogs) to simulate the sound of 'horse-men', they
assembled each winter at the witch's sabbath which took place at the
crossroads of Le Coudray in the commune of Marsais Ste
Radegonde.
Return to find more interesting towns and villages in the Vendee
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