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Origin and history

The Château de Commequiers, built between the second half of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th century, uses white stones from Sallertaine. Its sponsor, Louis de Beaumont, made it a strategic stronghold. The building, however, was dismantled in 1628 by order of Cardinal Richelieu, as part of the repression against Protestants after the defeat of Soubise. At that time, the castle belonged to the family of La Tremoille, former Huguenot lords of the region.

The early enclosure of the castle could go back to the eleventh century, according to the hypothesis of J.-L. Sarrazin, which links it to an initiative of the Viscount of Thouars. The latter then extended its influence on the north of the present Vendée, including sites such as La Chaize-le-Vicomte and Tiffauges. However, no archaeological evidence confirms this dating, and the exact location of this enclosure remains unknown.

Today, the site is animated by the association Friends of the Old Castle of Commequiers, which organizes events such as The Medieval. This annual festival, taking place over two days in costumes of the era, aims to revive local history. The castle, although partially destroyed, remains a symbol of the Salesian heritage and its religious conflicts.

The commune of Commequiers, where the castle stands, is marked by a rural and railway history. In the 19th century, its station became an important hub for local traffic, notably with the Nantes-Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie line. Although this infrastructure lost its central role after 1970, a section of the old railway is now transformed into a tourist bike, linking Comquiers to Coëx.

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