Fontenay le Comte
City of Art and History with a thousand-year-old heritage.
In the South Vendée, between plain, marsh and bocage, not far from the sea, the Fontenay Le Comte area is waiting for you.
Land of history with its churches, castles and magnificent buildings, you will discover a unique heritage.
Land of nature, you will admire exceptional landscapes, suitable for walking in the forest, fishing or resting.
Fontenay Le Comte has preserved its charm and beauty of the past with its rich mansions, its elegant squares, its arcaded houses and its shady parks.
Not to be missed:
- The 15th century church of Notre Dame
- The convent of the Tiercelettes
- The Newfoundland Castle
- The houses of the Place Belliard
See more about the Pays de Fontenay Le Comte.
Newfoundland Castle
Renaissance castle in Fontenay Le Comte.
Built in the 16th century for Nicolas Rapin, Grand Provost of the Connétablie de France and companion of King Henri IV, the Château de Terre-Neuve is renowned for its Alchemical fireplace, its coffered ceilings of carved stone, its woodwork from the Château de Chambord, its gilded suns from the bedroom of King Louis XIV, its paintings, its collections and its superb 17th and 17th century period clothing.
In the heart of its large park, this jewel of the French Renaissance received illustrious characters such as the Duke of Sally and Agrippa d’Aubigné, which earned it the title of “fountain and source of beautiful spirits” by François 1er.
Later, from 1941 to 1943, it was Georges Simenon, the father of Commissioner Maigret who stayed there. Classified as a historical monument, the Château de Terre-Neuve is inhabited by the descendants of the Marquis de Rochebrune.
See more about the Château de Terre-Neuve.
Vendée Expansion / A. Lamoureux
