Le Puy-Notre-Dame

{{Infobox French commune

|name = Le Puy-Notre-Dame

|commune status = Commune

|image = Le Puy-Notre-Dame-vue du coteau.jpg

|caption = A general view of Le Puy-Notre-Dame

|arrondissement = Saumur

|canton = Doué-en-Anjou

|INSEE = 49253

|postal code = 49260

|mayor = Isabelle Isabellon{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|publisher=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=13 September 2022|language=fr}}

|term = 2020–2026

|intercommunality = CA Saumur Val de Loire

|coordinates = {{coord|47.1261|-0.2339|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

|elevation m = 103

|elevation min m = 32

|elevation max m = 106

|area km2 = 15.87

|population = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}

|population date = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}

|population footnotes = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}

}}

Le Puy-Notre-Dame ({{IPA|fr|lə pɥi nɔtʁ dam|-|LL-Q150 (fra)-Hélène (Hsarrazin)-Le Puy-Notre-Dame.wav}}) or Le Puy is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.

The village is built on the hill of Puy, also spelt “Pua”.

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 8 September, 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 pilgrims 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 known for its mushroom production.

Local A.O.C wines are Anjou, Saumur, and sparkling Saumur.

Administration

class="wikitable" \|+ \| List of successive mayors ! Term !! Name
2008–2014	Jean-Luc Clayes
2014–2020	Patrice Mouchard
2020-incumbent	Isabelle Isabellon

Miscellaneous

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

References

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]
[https://archive.today/20070717000835/http://www.ign.fr/affiche_rubrique.asp?rbr_id=1087&CommuneId=45295 Le Puy-Notre-Dame on the Institut Géographique National site]
[http://www.meteoconsult.fr/ter/france/prevision/moteur.php?langue=fr&saisie=Le%20Puy%20Notre%20Dame Weather for Le Puy-Notre-Dame]
[http://www.villorama.com/localisation/le-puy-notre-dame.htm Closest towns to Le Puy-Notre-Dame]
[http://lepuynotredame.blogspot.com/ Personal page about Le Puy-Notre-Dame]

Puynotredame