A long-standing history

The Pays d’Olonne has been occupied by man since the dawn of time, as can be seen by the many remains discovered in the region. The sea once covered a large part of the land. ‘Ol-ona’, meaning ‘Hill above the water’, is thought to be of Celtic origin and to have given its name to four of the six communes comprising the region. At the time, it was Olonne that ruled over the area. Under the Roman Empire, Olonne became a major crossroads thanks to its tiny harbour ‘Le Havre d’Olonne’ nestled in a bay sheltered by the long island of Vertime (the present Côte Sauvage and forest of Olonne). The creation of the salt marshes and vineyards of Ile d’Olonne are thought to date from this time and have provided the region’s wealth for 2000 years. Between the 5th and 9th centuries, the land was ravaged by a succession of invasions and the Normans were in occupation until the 10th century. Then, through the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine to Henry II Plantagenet, the region passed under English rule for more than fifty years. For their son, Richard the Lionheart, Talmont became his preferred residence and the land of Orbestier his favourite hunting ground. In the Middle Ages, the land witnessed an incredible economic boom under the impetus of the lords of Olonne. This gave rise to a fabulous religious heritage.

The flourishing Sables d’Olonne

In the late Middle Ages, sea trade was growing & the flourishing Pays d’Olonne was exporting its salt and wine to northern Europe, while the surrounding villages (Château d’Olonne, Vairé, Ste Foy) devoted themselves to a more agricultural activity on Seigniory soil. The 18th century saw their little sister town, Les Sables d’Olonne, rise from the shadows, or rather the sands, of obscurity. In fact, in order to replace the harbour of Talmont, which was silting up, Prince Savary de Mauléon decided to develop Le Havre d’Olonne. He granted lands and rights to the district of La Chaume in 1218 to set up an urban settlement. In 1472, Louis XI separated Les Sables d’Olonne from the town of Olonne Sur Mer to turn it into the main harbour for the region. The parish of Les Sables d’Olonne was born in the 17th century, and it was decided to build a church. The religious wars curbed the town’s expansion. The people of Les Sables, devout Catholics, came into conflict with ‘Les Chaumois’ who had converted to Protestantism.

The Golden Age and the beginnings of Tourism

The 17th century marked the apogee of Les Sables d’Olonne, now the leading cod-fishing harbour in the kingdom. More than 100 boats were kitted out for cod fishing on the banks of Terre Neuve (Nantes 89, La Rochelle 32). During the Revolution, the region remained Republican (there were no less than six prisons in Les Sables d’Olonne, one guillotine and a revolutionary court). Under the Empire, the town was faced with the Continental blocus instituted by Napoleon I and the threat of the English warships. Then a long decline began in the 18th century, which was only to end with the rise of fishing and tourism in the late 19th century: From 1845, the harbour was modernised. Sardine and tuna fishing ensured the growing success of the canning companies (known as ‘confiseries’). The shipbuilding yards built dundees and other sardine fishing boats on the quaysides at La Cabaude. As for tourism, although the first spa bath regulations date from 1816, it was not until 1825 that the first thermal baths and bathing machines appeared. Les Sables d’Olonne became a sophisticated resort frequented by the aristocracy and artistic elite and kitted itself out with its first casino, the ‘Casino des bains de Mer’ (now known as the ‘Casino des Atlantes’). It was the Belle Epoque for Les Sables. The arrival of the railway in 1866 injected new dynamism into tourism with ‘the leisure trains’, which connected Paris to the ‘finest beach in Europe’. The new vogue for Sea Bathing was born. A second casino appeared in 1898, the ‘Casino des Pins’, and in 1900 there were already more than 35 hotels close to the Embankment. Today, backed by its past splendour, Les Sables d’Olonne continues to equip itself with the finest state-of-the-art tourist amenities : a thalassatherapy centre was added in 1989 and a conference centre in 1998.