Sainte-Marie-sur-Mer

Sainte-Marie-sur-Mer is a former commune in the Pays de Retz, situated in the Loire-Atlantique "département" and in the French région of Pays de la Loire. From 1973, it was absorbed by the neighbouring commune of Pornic and from July 1, 2007 it became a subdivision of this commune.

The commune forms a part of Brittany, in the traditional county of Retz and in the historical Pays Nantais.

The inhabitants of Sainte-Marie are known as the "Sanmaritains" and "Sanmaritaines".

Geography

Sainte-Marie-sur-Mer is a market town on the Côte de Jade, with a jagged coastline strewn with coves.

History

At one time, during the French First Republic, Sainte-Marie was known as "Roche-Peltier".

The commune of Sainte-Marie was attached to that of Pornic on June 1, 1973 (under the terms of the Marcelin law of July 16 1971).

On May 16, 2006, the Sanmaritains voted for the complete amalgamation of the communes of Sainte-Marie-sur-Mer and Pornic with 50.83% of the vote in favour (with a difference of just 47 votes out of more than 2800 voters). In effect, from 1973, Sainte-Marie-sur-Mer possessed a status of associated commune with Pornic and removed the deputy mayor of Sainte-Marie, Jean-François Cossé who had opposed the amalgamation of the two communes.

On July 1, 2007, after the acceptance by the prefect of the amalgamation of the communes of Pornic and Sainte-Marie-sur-Mer, the latter lost its status as associated commune and became a subdivision of Pornic .

List of Mayors

*Abbé Beaudouin -1823
*Bodin des Plantes 1823-
*Edouard Thomas -1828
*François Raffin 1828- (maire provisoire)
*Edouard Thomas -1852
*René Laraison 1852-1870
*Michel Picot 1870-1884
*François Maurice 1884-1886
*Jules Galot 1886-
*Guillon Constant 1886-
*Souchlaud
*Bézier
*Rouhaud

After the amalgamation with the town of Pornic, Sainte-Marie-sur-Mer and the aforementioned Pornic came to represent a single electoral zone.

Demographics

Places and monuments

* Sainte-Marie church
* Le chateau de La Mossardière

People from Sainte-Marie-sur-Mer

* René Babonneau

Resiting of the market

Since the end of March, 2007 the market was moved creating a heated debate between tradesman, customers and the town hall. In the Courier of the Pays de Retz of April 5, 2007 the writer of the article spoke of a toxic atmosphere in the town.

ee also

* Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department
* Baie de Bourgneuf
* Côte de Jade
* Pays de Retz
* Pornic
* Pêcherie

References

¹ - Source : Ouest France.

External links

* [http://www.infobretagne.com/pornic.htm Infobretagne.com - History of Pornic, Sainte-Marie and Clion]

Notes

*"This article is based on the equivalent article from the French Wikipedia, consulted on March 6th 2008."