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Origin and history

The Saint Peter's Cathedral of Maillezais came into being in the 10th century, when Countess Emma de Blois, wife of the Duke of Aquitaine, discovered the ruins of a Saint Hilaire chapel on the wild island of Maillezais. In 976 she founded a Benedictine monastery, first attached to Saint-Julien de Tours and then to Cluny in 1057. The abbey, enriched by gifts and land, became a place of coronation and burial of the Dukes of Aquitaine, like William the Great in 1030. It also played a key role in the first dryings of the Poitevin Marais in the 11th century, notably via the Canal des Cinq-Abbés (1217).

In 1317 the abbey was raised to the rank of cathedral, seat of the bishopric of Maillezais until 1648. The monument, rebuilt in an angeline Gothic style, suffered numerous damage: fire in 1082, destruction by Geoffroy de Lusignan (XIII century), looting during the Wars of Religion (1562), and partial ruin after an assault in 1587. In the 16th century, Bishop Geoffroy of Estissac, protector of Rabelais, had the choir rebuilt. Abandoned in 1666, the cathedral was sold as a national property in 1791 and dismantled in the 19th century for its stones.

Today, there are only remains classified as Historical Monument since 1924: the bell towers, the north wall of the nave, the transept, and the convent buildings (refectory, dormitory, octagonal kitchen). The site, owned by the Vendée department since 1996, has been the subject of excavations and restorations. His story is also linked to the legend of Melusine, including one son, Fromont, who would have been a monk in Maillezais, and another, Geoffroy to the Great Dent, who would have burned him.

The abbey illustrates architectural transitions (Roman → Gothic) and political upheavals (Religion Wars, Revolution). Its decline reflects that of the ecclesiastical institutions in Poitou, while its ruins testify to its prestigious past, between Ducal power, clunisian influence and role in the development of the marsh.

Recent excavations revealed elements of the cloister and the hotel industry (14th century). The site, originally 105 m long, peaked at 60 m (compared to 25 m today). Its canal, ramparts and links with Rabelais and Agrippa d'Aubigné (Governor under Henry IV) make it an emblematic monument of the Vendee heritage.

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