Benet, Vendée

Benet
The Church of Sainte-Eulalie, in Benet
Benet
Location within Pays de la Loire region  Benet
Coordinates: 46°22′06″N 0°35′46″W / 46.3683°N 0.5961°WCoordinates: 46°22′06″N 0°35′46″W / 46.3683°N 0.5961°W
Country	France
Region	Pays de la Loire
Department	Vendée
Arrondissement	Fontenay-le-Comte
Canton	Maillezais
Government
• Mayor	Daniel David
Area^1	50.01 km^2 (19.31 sq mi)
Population (2006)^2	3,617
• Density	72/km^2 (190/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	85020 / 85490
^1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. ^2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Benet is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.

The former communes of Lesson, Sainte-Christine and Aziré were joined to the commune of Benet in 1973.

Geography

Close to Niort (7 miles) in Deux-Sèvres and Fontenay-le-Comte (12 miles) in Vendée, Benet is located near :

• South-Vendée
• Poitevin Marsh
• Atlantic Coast

The diversity of the landscapes, the limestone plain, along with the marshes of Sainte-Christine, Aziré and Nessier, make this commune a varied place, rich of its differences.

The Vrizon is the underground river that goes through the commune.

Benet is located close to the A83 and A10 motorways, connecting the commune to some major cities, as Nantes (81 miles), Poitiers (61 miles), Bordeaux (120 miles), or Paris (266 miles). Benet is also situated at 40 miles (64 km) from the touristical city of La Rochelle.

History

• Benet was formerly named Benet-les-Noyers.
• Former seat of a canton until 1801-1802, Benet has ultimately integrated the Canton of Maillezais.
• The communes of Lesson, Aziré and Sainte-Christine merged with the commune of Benet in 1973.

List of Mayors

Period	Identity	Party
March 2001 - March 2008	Daniel DAVID	Socialist Party
March 2008 -	Daniel DAVID	Socialist Party

Demography

Year	1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2006
Inhabitants	2294	2583	2761	3062	3224	3202	3617

Monuments

The Sainte-Eulalie Church, on the historical register, constitutes an unmissable stage in the tour of the Romance Churches and Abbeys of the region.

A few miles away, it is possible to visit the historic site of the Maillezais Cathedral.

A wind farm was created near Lesson in 2007, and a second was established two miles (3 km) away from the first, several months later. A total of ten wind turbines overhang the commune.

Twin towns

• Sundern, Germany

Events

• Each first Sunday of July, the "Fête du Préfou" is organized in the harbor of Aziré.
• In November, is organized the traditional "Foire aux alouettes" (Lark Fair).

See also

• Communes of the Vendée department

References

• INSEE

External links

• Website of the municipality of Benet