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NOIRMOUTIER

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Originally appearing in Volume V19, Page 733 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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NOIRMOUTIER , an See also:

island of western See also:France, belonging to the See also:department of See also:Vendee, and protecting the See also:Bay of Bourgneuf on the See also:south-See also:west. Pop. (1906) 8388. The See also:area amounts to 22 sq. m., one-See also:sixth See also:dunes. Between the island and the mainland is a sandbank laid See also:bare at See also:low See also:water, and crossed by an See also:embankment and See also:carriage road some 24 M. See also:long. It was not till about 1766 that it was found possible to walk across to the island, which lies from N.N.W. to S.S.E., and is 12 M. long, its breadth varying from 1 m. in the south See also:part to 3 or 4 M. in the See also:north. It appears to be formed of alluvial deposits gradually accumulated See also:round a See also:rock of no See also:great See also:size situated at the See also:meeting-See also:place of the See also:Gascony and See also:Brittany currents. Fishing, See also:agriculture, See also:oyster-breeding and See also:work in the See also:salt marshes also occupy the inhabitants. There are two communes, Noirmoutier and Barbatre. Noirmoutier, which has a small See also:port, has about 2165 of its 6644 inhabitants gathered together in a little See also:town with narrow and winding streets. Its See also:castle was once the See also:residence of the See also:abbot of Her. In the See also:church (12th, 14th and 19th centuries) there is a See also:crypt of the 1th See also:century.

A mile to the north of the town lies a pleasant watering-place, rendered picturesque by the La See also:

Chaise See also:woods (See also:evergreen oaks and pines), and a See also:grand confusion of rocks, among which See also:lie charming beaches. A dolmen, several menhirs, and the ruins of a Gallo-See also:Roman See also:villa with its hot See also:baths show that the island must have been occupied at an See also:early date; but the first fact in its recorded See also:history is the See also:foundation of the See also:Benedictine monastery of Her by St Philibert about 680. From this monastery the name Noirmoutier (Heri monasterium, Hermoutier) is derived. It had already attained to great prosperity when it was pillaged by the See also:Normans in 825 and 843. In 1205 the See also:abbey of Notre See also:Dame la See also:Blanche was built at the north extremity of the island to take the place of a Cistercian See also:convent established in the Ile du Pilier, at that See also:time attached to Noirmoutier by a See also:dike. This abbey was ruined by the Protestants in 1562. In the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries the island belonged to the See also:family of La Tremoille, andin 1650 the territory was made a duchy. In 1676 the island was captured by the Dutch. Having been seized by Charette during the See also:war of Vendee, it was recovered by the Republican See also:general, See also:Haxo, who caused the Vendean See also:leader, d'Elbee, to be shot.

End of Article: NOIRMOUTIER

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