Le Puy-Notre-Dame

French commune
nomcommune=Le Puy-Notre-Dame| région=Pays de la Loire
département=Maine-et-Loire
arrondissement=Saumur
canton=Montreuil-Bellay
insee= 49253 |cp= 49260 |maire= Jean-Luc Claeys
intercomm=Saumur Loire Développement
longitude= -0.23389
latitude= 47.12611
alt moy= 103 m
alt mini= 32
alt maxi= 106
hectares=1,587
km²=15.87
sans=1,236
date-sans=1999
dens=77.88
date-dens=1999

Le Puy-Notre-Dame or Le Puy is a commune situated in the "département" of Maine-et-Loire and the "région" of Pays de la Loire. The village is built on the hill of Puy.

Its inhabitants are known as "Puechens".

History

Protohistoric traces have been found.

Le Puy ("Podio beatae Mariae" in the 7th century had become known as "Puy-la-Montagne" by 1793 and the hill of Puy as "Mary's Mountain". William 9th, Duke of Aquitaine is reputed to have brought back a waistband of the Virgin Mary from the Crusades and deposited it in the church. His granddaughter Eleanor of Aquitaine founded a collegial church to honour the relic which, according to legend, facilitated pregnancies and male offspring. Louis XI founded a chapter about 1480 and this became a site of pilgrimage the Sunday after September 8, the Nativity. The relic can still be viewed here.

The town became a stop on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela (17th century houses used by the pilgims still exist).

Its location between the territories of the Counts of Anjou and Aquitaine lent it strategic importance and traces of an encircling town wall remain.

Places

* Subterranean refuges exist under the town and Sanziers;
* Presshouse at the Château du Lys in Sanziers;
* Subterranean dovecote at La Hupponnière;
* Cavier mill in ruins;
* Ancient Franciscan convent chapel (barn).

Agriculture

Local agricultural production is mixed with vineyards (15 km²), orchards and market gardening taking place alongside pasture and woodlands. Beekeeping also takes place.The Cave Saint-Maur in Sanziers is well worth a visit for its mushroom production. Local A.O.C wines are Anjou, Saumur, and sparkling Saumur.

Administration

Miscellaneous

Puy derives from the Provencal word "Puech", meaning an isolated hill.

ee also

* Communes of the Maine-et-Loire département
* Le PUY NOTRE DAME : http://lepuynotredame.blogspot.com/

External links (in French, unless otherwise indicated)

* [http://www.ville-lepuynotredame.fr/ Tourism website]
* [http://www.tourisme.fr/office-de-tourisme/le-puy-notre-dame.htm Town Council website]
* [http://www.ign.fr/affiche_rubrique.asp?rbr_id=1087&CommuneId=45295 Le Puy-Notre-Dame on the Institut Géographique National site]
* [http://www.ign.fr/affiche_rubrique.asp?rbr_id=863&mis_id=P02000142&com_id=45295 Le Puy-Notre-Dame on the Institut Géographique National site]
* [http://www.mappy.fr/BtoB/OfficeTourisme/FramePlanXY?x=404885&y=2239334 Map of Le Puy-Notre-Dame]
* [http://www.meteoconsult.fr/ter/france/prevision/moteur.php?langue=fr&saisie=Le%20Puy%20Notre%20Dame Weather for Le Puy-Notre-Dame]
* [http://www.quid.fr/communes.html?id=28813&mode=detail&emph=n%F4tre%2Cnotre%2Cpuys%2Cn%F4tres%2Cdames%2Cpuy%2Cdame&query=Le+Puy-Notre-Dame Le Puy-Notre-Dame on the Quid site]
* [http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?formtype=address&searchtype=address&country=FR&addtohistory=&address=&city=Le+Puy-Notre-Dame&zipcode= Map of Le Puy-Notre-Dame on Mapquest]
* [http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/viamichelin/gbr/dyn/controller/mapPerformPage?strAddress=&strCP=&strLocation=Le+Puy-Notre-Dame&strCountry=1424&image2.x=34&image2.y=11 Map of Le Puy-Notre-Dame on Michelin]
* [http://www.lion1906.com/Pages_En/ResultatLocalisation.php?InseeVille=490253 Le Puy-Notre-Dame on the map of France]
* [http://www.lion1906.com/Pages_En/ResultatProximiteCoord.php?DegLat1=47.12&DegLong1=-0.23&DecLat1=47.12&DecLong1=0.0038333333333333335&RadLat1=0.8223991435397281&RadLong1=0.00006690428799311596&Latitude1=N&Longitude1=E Closest communes to Le Puy-Notre-Dame]
* [http://www.villorama.com/localisation/le-puy-notre-dame.htm Closest towns to Le Puy-Notre-Dame]