Top 5 things to see and do in Moutiers-les-Mauxfaits
During your stay in the Vendée at our 4-star Vendée campsite, don’t miss the small town of Moutiers-les-Mauxfaits just 1⁄4 hour away. Moutiers comes from the Old French “moustier”, which meant monastery in the Middle Ages. When visiting the Vendée, Moutiers-les-Mauxfaits is one of those places of interest not to be missed.
Château de la Cantaudière
2 km from the town, on the road toAvrillé, stands the Château de la Cantaudière. Built in 1578, it was primarily a small fortress with four towers and ramparts.
The Renaissance château de la Cantaudière was listed as a Monument Historique in 1978, and is now only open to visitors during the Journées du Patrimoine. The property was bought in 1855 by a certain Charles Duchaine, and is still owned by his descendants.
Les Halles de Moutiers-les-Mauxfaits
Located in the heart of the city, the Halles, built in 1765, are the city’s main attraction. A vast rectangle with a surface area of 1340m², they are supported around their perimeter by 41 large Doric-style stone columns and, within the building, by 61 wooden posts aligned in 4 rows around the central aisle.
The roof structure, too, is a masterpiece of harmony and craftsmanship, comprising props, crossbeams and punches. Les Halles was renovated in 2006 and remains the vital and symbolic heart of the city.
The Saint Brix fountain and washhouse
The Saint Brix fountain is well known to the old Moutierrois people, who used to come here to get the best quality water, while the washhouse was reconstructed from information gathered from Moutierrois men and women who knew the washerwomen who used to come here every week to beat their laundry.
The water from the Saint Brix fountain has many virtues, and is said to cure toothache, backache and kidney ailments.
Saint-Jacques Church in Moutiers-les-Mauxfaits
TheMoutiers-les-Mauxfaits church was built in granite, the local stone, in the early 12th century. In 1305, it was able to welcome the future Pope Clement V.
Known as Saint Michel since 1451, it became the church of Saint-Jacques by decision of Pope Eugène IV. Plundered by Huguenot troops in 1568 and 1622, it was transformed into a warehouse following the Revolution, and finally reopened to worship in 1803.
TheSaint-Jacques church in Moutiers-les-Mauxfaits has been classified as a Historic Monument since 1908.
Numerous hikes
For walkers and hikers, there are numerous footpaths in and around Moutiers-les-Mauxfaits. They will enable you to discover many elements of the local terroir.
