Benet, Vendée

Benet is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.

The former communes of Lesson, Sainte-Christine and Aziré were joined to the commune of Benet in 1973.

Geography
Close to Niort (7 mi) in Deux-Sèvres and Fontenay-le-Comte (12 mi) in Vendée, Benet is located near :


 * South-Vendée
 * Poitevin Marsh
 * Atlantic Coast

The diversity of the landscapes, the limestone plain, along with the marshes of Sainte-Christine, Aziré and Nessier, make this commune a varied place, rich of its differences.

The Vrizon is the underground river that goes through the commune.

Benet is located close to the A83 and A10 motorways, connecting the commune to some major cities, as Nantes (81 mi), Poitiers (61 mi), Bordeaux (120 mi), or Paris (266 mi). Benet is also situated 40 mi from the tourist city of La Rochelle.

History

 * Benet was formerly named Benet-les-Noyers.
 * Former seat of a canton until 1801–1802, Benet has ultimately integrated the Canton of Maillezais.
 * The communes of Lesson, Aziré and Sainte-Christine merged with the commune of Benet in 1973.

Monuments
The Sainte-Eulalie Church, on the historical register, constitutes an unmissable stage in the tour of the Romance Churches and Abbeys of the region.

A few kilometres away, it is possible to visit the historic site of the Maillezais Cathedral.

A wind farm was created near Lesson in 2007, and several months later, a second was established 2 mi away from the first. A total of ten wind turbines overhang the commune.

Notable people

 * Jean-Paul Ribreau (born 1957), former professional footballer

Twin towns

 * 🇩🇪 Sundern, Germany

Events

 * Each first Sunday of July, the "Fête du Préfou" is organized in the harbor of Aziré.
 * In November, is organized the traditional "Foire aux alouettes" (Lark Fair).