Fontenay-le-Comte, Administrative commune in Vendée, France
Fontenay-le-Comte is an administrative commune in southern Vendée that extends along the banks of the Vendée River. The town combines old quarters with steep lanes and wider areas along the water where residential houses and public buildings stand.
The town served as prefecture of Vendée department until 1804, when Napoleon Bonaparte moved administrative functions to La Roche-sur-Yon. During the 16th-century religious wars it was besieged several times and suffered heavy damage.
The name comes from the Latin „Fons Comitis
The town lies about 60 km (37 miles) southeast of the Atlantic coast and is accessible via main roads. The town center is easy to explore on foot, with public parking available near the river.
François Rabelais spent part of his youth here and later called the town „mother city of noble minds
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