Île d'Yeu -
Vendée coast of western
France Travel - Île dYeu Île dYeu is an island and commune just off the Vendée coast of western France.
The islands two harbours, Port-Joinville in the north and
Port de la Meule, located in a rocky inlet of the southern granite coast, are famous for the fishing of tuna and lobster.
An aerial view of Port de la Meule
Neolithic markings in the native stone and an unusual concentration of megalithic dolmens and menhirs attest to the islands early sanctity.[1]
Whether or not its inhabitants were evangelised at the beginning of the fourth century by
Martin of Vertou and
Saint Hilaire,
Irish monks from
Bangor dedicated their monastery on the Île dYeu to Hilaire;
Saint Amand, from
Poitou received early training there, but it was destroyed by
Viking raiders in the ninth century.
During the tenth century, monks from
Marmoutier near
Tours and monks of Saint-Cyprien at
Poitiers built a new monastery and dedicated it to
Saint Stephen.
The castle built on an islet linked to the coast by a bridge is first mentioned in 1356.
Since the nineteenth century Île dYeu has attracted many artists, such as
Jean Rigaud (1912--1999), official painter to the
French Navy, who had a house there, and his friend
Maurice Boitel (1919--2007)
The islands seaweeds have been the subject of studies by the
French marine biologist
Françoise Ardré.
Administratively, the commune of LÎle-dYeu (with that spelling) forms part of the Vendée department and the
Pays de la Loire region of France.
The island is reached by ferry from
Fromentine or Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie.is an island and commune just off the Vendée coast of western France.
The islands two harbours, Port-Joinville in the north and Port de la Meule, located in a rocky inlet of the southern granite coast, are famous for the fishing of tuna and lobster.
An aerial view of Port de la Meule
Neolithic markings in the native stone and an unusual concentration of megalithic dolmens and menhirs attest to the islands early sanctity.[1] Whether or not its inhabitants were evangelised at the beginning of the fourth century by Martin of Vertou and Saint Hilaire, Irish monks from Bangor dedicated their monastery on the Île dYeu to Hilaire; Saint Amand, from Poitou received early training there, but it was destroyed by Viking raiders in the ninth century.
During the tenth century, monks from Marmoutier near Tours and monks of Saint-Cyprien at Poitiers built a new monastery and dedicated it to Saint Stephen. The castle built on an islet linked to the coast by a bridge is first mentioned in 1356.
Since the nineteenth century Île dYeu has attracted many artists, such as Jean Rigaud (1912--1999), official painter to the French Navy, who had a house there, and his friend Maurice Boitel (1919--2007)
The islands seaweeds have been the subject of studies by the French marine biologist Françoise Ardré.
Administratively, the commune of LÎle-dYeu (with that spelling) forms part of the Vendée department and the Pays de la Loire region of France.
The island is reached by ferry from Fromentine or Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie.
Enjoy Your Île d'Yeu - Vendée coast of western France Travel!
- published: 10 Aug 2014
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