Saint Laurent de la Salle is the ideal place for hiking and biking, the countryside is lovely, quiet and inviting

The rural community of Saint Laurent de la Salle is situated between what is called the ‘bocage’ and the ‘plain’ of the department Vendée and measures about 20 square kilometers with a lot of forest and ponds.

The main village in one of the outward corners of the community consists of only 20% of the village’s population, the other inhabitants are divided over the numerous hamlets.

The community counts about 400 inhabitants. The community is part of the administrative district of Fontenay-le-Comte.

The river ‘la Smagne’ and its tributery ‘la Sauvagère’ are the main watercourses that ripple between Saint Laurent’s hills and valleys.

Some history

Saint Laurent is named after a third-century christian martyr, Laurentius, who unfortunately died roasted on a torture rack. The church named the parish founded in the XIIth century after him , thus symbolising the victorious struggle against evil.

The addition ‘Salle’ is derived from old French, meaning a noble’s site, consisting of a castle, a rather large fortification or residential place for a local noble.

Towards the end of the Merovingian time the village was an important agricultural property. These days Saint Laurent still is mostly an agricultural and fruit-cultural community.

Two beautiful castles can be found near the village :

• le Plessis-le Franc which was built towards 1440 at the place of a fifteen-century stud farm. You’ll find a very beautiful pigeon tower next to the castle, built in 1691.
• The other castle’s name is ‘La Loge Grimouard’, it was restored during the so-called ‘ Directoire’ (1795-1799). This castle is situated on an old Roman road leading to the city of Bourges. A lovely chapel was added to the castle, consacrated in 1859.

The first (primitive) church of Saint Laurent dates from the twelfth century, in documents of the Abbey of Maillezais the church is mentioned as early as 1110. The original church, as were so many, was destroyed during the religious wars of the Vendee in the 16th century but was restored in the following century.

Recent renovation (2010) resulted in the discovery of remnants of old frescos