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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Place Belliard, located in Fontenay-le-Comte in Vendée, has been an emblematic place of the city since the Middle Ages. Originally, it was the forum of the medieval city, a central space where citizens gathered. During the Renaissance, under Francis I, it became the commercial heart of Fontenay with its herb and fruit market, opened three times a week until 1812. The six arcade buildings, built in the 16th century in the style of Touraine, bear witness to this fascist period. Their architecture, characteristic of royal influence, makes it a rare provincial example of this style.

The place has undergone several transformations over the centuries. In 1836, the arcades of building 14 were blocked, and an inscription engraved "1605 PEV ET PEACE" (peace and peace) remains on one of the houses. A fire in 1896 destroyed several nearby houses, which were never rebuilt, leaving room in its current configuration. In 1898, two marble plaques were placed on the home of General Augustin-Daniel Belliard, born in the square, to honour his military and diplomatic career under the Empire. Its bust, originally placed in 1836, was resettled in 1907 after the construction of a new stone monument.

In the 20th century, the square evolved with its time: in 1911, houses were demolished to build the Caisse d'Epargne hotel. Between 1981 and 1982, a renovation under the "middle town" contract improved car traffic and created 26 parking spaces, while preserving part of the historic monument. The six houses at numbers 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 of the square were officially listed as historic monuments on June 15, 1942, recognizing their heritage value.

Today, Belliard Square retains its central role in the city, mixing historical memory and daily life. The arcades of the 16th century, although partially modified, recall the golden age of Fontenay-le-Comte as a commercial and intellectual city of the Renaissance. The name of the square pays tribute to General Belliard, a local figure whose birthplace, always visible, perpetuates memory.

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