Maillezais

Commune in Pays de la Loire, France

Coat of arms

Location of Maillezais

(2020–2026) Annie Rineau^[1]Area

20.33 km² (7.85 sq mi)Population

(2021)^[2]

901 • Density44/km² (110/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)INSEE/Postal code

85133 /85420

Elevation1–18 m (3.3–59.1 ft)
(avg. 7 m or 23 ft)¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Maillezais (French pronunciation: [majzɛ]) is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.

It was once an island in the Marais Poitevin, until monks of the Maillezais Abbey dug canals in the 13th century. Remains of the sea wall are still present, and canoe tours of the canals are a regular attraction to tourists. The ruins of the former Maillezais Abbey, dating from the 11th-14th century, are a listed monument.^[3]

References

^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
^ "Populations légales 2021". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
^ Base Mérimée: Ancienne abbaye Saint-Pierre, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)