Machecoul

Machecoul
The town hall in Machecoul The town hall in Machecoul
Coat of arms of Machecoul Coat of arms
Machecoul
Location within Pays de la Loire region Machecoul
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Pays de la Loire
Department	Loire-Atlantique
Arrondissement	Nantes
Canton	Machecoul
Intercommunality	Machecoul
Government
• Mayor (2008–2014)	Didier Favreau
Area1	66.62 km2 (25.72 sq mi)
Population (2006)2	5,732
• Density	86/km2 (220/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	44087 / 44270
Elevation	0–36 m (0–118 ft) (avg. 5 m or 16 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Machecoul is a former commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Machecoul-Saint-Même.

Its 5,732 inhabitants are called Machecoulais. It was the site of the opening of the uprising of the Vendée, in 1793.

Geography

The commune of Machecoul is surrounded by the following communes:

• in Loire-Atlantique: Bourgneuf-en-Retz, Fresnay-en-Retz, Saint-Même-le-Tenu, Saint-Mars-de-Coutais, Saint-Lumine-de-Coutais, Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu, La Marne, Paulx
• in Vendée: Bois-de-Céné.

Sights

• Gallo-Roman Wood Lighthouse ("Phare à Bois").
• 8th century Merovingian sarcophagi.
• Many old mills.
• 11th century Notre-Dame-de-la-Chaume abbey.
• Former 13th century Romanesque church.
• La Trinité church (1881).
• 11th century Cahouët Bridge ("Pont de Cahouët"), wrongly said "Roman Bridge" ("Pont Romain")(it does not date from Roman times). Small bridge over the river Falleron.
• Castle of Machecoul (also known as "Castle of Gilles de Rais" ("Château de Gilles de Rais") or "Bluebeard's castle" ("Château de Barbe-Bleue")): close to the town centre are the ruins of the 13th-century castle of the town, once owned by the infamous child-murderer Gilles de Rais (1404–1440). Nowadays, on summer evenings, one can partake of a son et lumière show telling his story.
• The "Auditoire" (18th century). Former court main hall (central part), which was built in 1755.
• The Lime Kiln ("Four à Chaux") (1857). Located on Saint-Michel Island, rich in limestone. Restored in 2001.
• Les Halles (1885).
• The Hippodrome des Chaumes (1885).
• The former Segin Distillery (1886).

Economy

On the edge of town is the Gitane bicycle factory. Fans of the Tour de France will recall the Breton cyclist Bernard Hinault riding for them in the 1970s.

Machecoul has a weekly street market where one can buy roasted poulet noir, the black chicken of Challans.

Twin towns

Machecoul is twinned with:

• Ühlingen-Birkendorf, Baden-Württemberg, Germany;
• Shifnal, Shropshire, United Kingdom;
• Valea Drăganului, Transylvania, Romania.

People

Machecoul was the birthplace of:

• Gilles de Rais (1404–1440), noble, soldier, and one time brother-in-arms of Joan of Arc. He was later accused and ultimately convicted of torturing, raping and murdering dozens, if not hundreds, of young children.
• Marc Éliard (born 1958), bass player of the new wave/rock band Indochine.
• Cédric Michaud (born 1976), marathon speed skater.
• Mickaël Landreau (born 1979), professional football (soccer) player.

See also

• Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department