Le Puy-Notre-Dame

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Administration
Commune of Le Puy-Notre-Dame
Location
Longitude	-00° 14' 02" E
Latitude	47° 07' 34" N
Country	France
Region	Pays de la Loire
Department	Maine-et-Loire
Arrondissement	Saumur
Canton	Montreuil-Bellay
Intercommunality	Saumur Loire Développement
Mayor	Dominique Monnier
Statistics
Altitude	32–106 (avg. 103 m)
Land area¹	15.87 km²
Population² (1999)	1,236
- Density (1999)	77.88/km²
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code	49253/ 49260
¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 mi² or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
² Population sans doubles comptes: single count of residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel).

Le Puy-Notre-Dame or Le Puy is a commune situated in the département of Maine-et-Loire and the région of Pays de la Loire. The village is built on the hill of Puy.

Its inhabitants are known as Puechens.

1 History
2 Places
3 Agriculture
4 Administration
5 Miscellaneous
6 See also
7 External links (in French, unless otherwise indicated)

[edit] 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 September 8, 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 pilgims 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.

[edit] 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).

[edit] 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 well worth a visit for its mushroom production. Local A.O.C wines are Anjou, Saumur, and sparkling Saumur.