Cugand-la-Bernardière (French pronunciation: [kyɡɑ̃ la bɛʁnaʁdjɛʁ]) is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France. It was formed on 1 January 2025 by the merger of Cugand and La Bernardière.[1]

Geography and climate

Cugand-la-Bernardière is located on the south bank of the Sèvre Nantaise, 28 km southeast of Nantes.[2] It borders the following communes:

Like the rest of the Vendée [fr], Cugand-la-Bernardière has an oceanic climate.[3]

History

The Brittany–Poitou marches in the 15th century.
The battle of la Penissière in La Bernardière on 6 June 1832.

The name Cugand is attested in 1287 as Cugant.[4] La Bernardière was once known as La Bernardière-en-Forêts, but the forests have long since disappeared.[5]

The Western Roman emperor Honorius built fortifications in Cugand to stop Breton incursions, but only traces of the Roman presence remain.[2] Under the Kingdom of France, Cugand and La Bernardière belonged to the Brittany–Poitou marches [fr].[2][5] In 1789, Cugand had about 1800 inhabitants, but the town lost about 200 people in the War in the Vendée during the French Revolution.[2]

In the 19th century, Cugand became the most industrialized town in the Vendée. The paper and weaving businesses prospered thanks to a favourable tax regime and the ability to power tanning, fulling and paper mills using the Sèvre Nantaise. The last textile mill in Cugand operated until 1985.[2]

On 6 June 1832, one of the last events [fr] in the Duchess of Berry's abortive uprising [fr] to put her son Henri on the French throne occurred in La Bernardière, when a group of Legitimists was besieged at the chateau of la Penissière by Orléanist troops.[5]

In order to more efficiently pool their resources, the communes of Cugand and La Bernardière agreed to merge to form the new commune of Cugand-la-Bernardière, effective 1 January 2025.[1][6] On 6 January, the councillors of the former communes elected Claude Durand, mayor of La Bernardière since 1989, as the mayor of the new commune.[7] The former communes have been replaced by delegated communes, each having a delegated mayor,[1] and the town halls in both communes will remain functional.[6]

Economy

There are several business and industrial parks in Cugand,[8] where the largest employer is MéO, a manufacturer of windows and doors.[9] Part of the Liebot Group and formerly known as MC France, it has operated a factory in Cugand since 2014.[10] La Bernardière's economy is more focused on agriculture and small businesses.[11][12]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Arrêté N°2024-DCL-BCL-519 portant création de la commune nouvelle de « Cugand-la-Bernardière »" (PDF). Prefect of Vendée. 3 June 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Histoire de la commune – Cugand". Commune of Cugand-la-Bernardière. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  3. ^ "Le climat en France métropolitaine". Météo-France. 22 September 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  4. ^ Dauzat, Albert; Rostaing, Charles (1979). Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de lieu en France (in French). Paris: Librairie Guénégaud. pp. 198b – 199a. ISBN 2-85023-076-6..
  5. ^ a b c "Histoire de la commune – La Bernardière". Commune of Cugand-la-Bernardière. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Ces deux communes de Vendée ne feront plus qu'une au 1er janvier 2025". L'Hebdo de Sèvre et Maine. 1 April 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  7. ^ Evain, Emeric (7 January 2025). "En Vendée, Claude Durand élu premier maire de la commune nouvelle Cugand-La Bernardière". Ouest-France. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  8. ^ "Présentation de la commune" (in French). Commune of Cugand. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  9. ^ Evain, Emeric (16 March 2023). "Fleurs, BBC, Sèvre et danse : bienvenue à Cugand, vue par sa maire". Ouest-France. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  10. ^ Piva, Lionel (12 April 2014). "MC France investit 28 millions d'euros en Vendée". Ouest-France. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  11. ^ "La Bernardière". Communes de France. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  12. ^ Evain, Emeric (5 February 2023). "Magie verte, M. Claude et fin des guerres de Vendée : bienvenue à La Bernardière, vue par son maire". Ouest-France. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cugand-la-Bernardi%C3%A8re
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