The Pays-de-la-Loire Region of France includes the following Departments: 85 Vendée (capital city is La Roche sur Yon); 72 Sarthe (capital city is Le Mans); 53 Mayenne (capital city is Laval); 49 Maine et Loire (capital city is Angers); and 44 Loire Atlantique (capital city is Nantes which we visited to tour the Waterman factory. Nantes is only two hours from Paris by TGV.
This Region includes part of what travelers normally consider part of the Loire Valley and Nantes is just so close to Brittany sometimes it has been thought of as being in that Region, but for those who have traveled France know, drive an hour and you can be in a totally different Region.
Our visit to Nantes was originally driven by the fact that the Waterman Pen Company has its factory in Nantes, and I am a pen collector so this alone would be the reason to travel to Nantes. Indeed, we did have a very interesting tour of the factory, but we also found Nantes to be an interesting town to visit. I notice in other references Nantes is referred to as the capital of the Pays de la Loire Région, and the préfecture of the Loire-Atlantique département and also an important city of Brittany. I have been using the Michelin Maps and the Regions as published by the French Government to organize our Journal notes so I am including my comments on the city here, rather than in Brittany.
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| The Passage Pommeraye | Great street scene. | Side of Cathedral |
Nantes was the former capital of Brittany. In 1532 Brittany was annexed to France and for a few years the parliament remained in Nantes before being moved north to the city of Rennes.
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There are a couple of interesting areas of Nantes. You will find the medieval city around the cathedral. The cathedral is impressive with its soaring while interior although the church has had a series of disasters. In 1800 the castle's arsenal exploded shattering the stained glass of the Cathédrale. During the French Revolution the church was used as a barn. It was later bombed in World War II and then damaged by a fire in 1971. But it has been restored and impressive to see. |
The Château stands out on the southeast corner of the city. The ramparts of the Château remain intact, and there is water in most of the moat. Inside the walls there is a mix of buildings.
The nineteenth-century town lies west. On rue Crebillon the 19th Century arcade, the Passage Pommeraye, flows down three levels towards the river. Great attention to detail. Each gas lamp is held by an individually crafted marble cherub.