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Origin and history

The castle of Talmont-Saint-Hilaire, located on a height overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, was built in the 11th century by Guillaume le Chauve, vassal of William the Great, Duke of Aquitaine. Its defensive character was reinforced by moat flooded twice a day by tides. A medieval district, including an abbey and houses, developed around the fortress, while an active port, used until the 17th century, facilitated trade.

In the 12th century Talmont became an issue of Franco-English conflicts after the marriage of Alienor d'Aquitaine with Louis VII, then Henry II of England. The fortress, reinforced by Raoul III de Mauléon under Richard Cœur de Lion, was burned in 1138 by Louis VII to punish a betrayal. It then changed hands between Mauléon, Thouars and Amboise, before being offered by Louis XI to his historiographer Philippe de Commynes in the 15th century.

The castle had repeated seats, notably by Henri de Navarre in the 16th century. His dungeon was finally dismantled in the 17th century by order of Richelieu to prevent an English settlement in Poitou. The principality of Talmont then belonged to the family of La Tremeille, including Antoine-Philippe, guillotine in 1794. The site also preserves the legend of Beatrix de Machecoul, a local figure transformed into a ogress by oral tradition.

Nearby, the paleontological site of the Veillon reveals traces of biped dinosaurs dated 204 million years (Trias-Lias), discovered in 1963. These traces, protected since their initial looting, include species such as Eubrontes veillonensis and Grallators olonensis, visible during winter tides. This geological heritage completes the medieval and strategic history of the castle.

The present commune, born in 1974 of the merger between Talmont and Saint-Hilaire-de-Talmont, also preserves Renaissance buildings such as the Château des Granges-Cathus (XVI century), as well as Romanesque churches and salt marshes. Its economy combines tourism, oyster farming and historical memory, with an active tourism office and events like stages of the Tour de France.

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