LE VILLAGE DE CHAUVE

The first written mention of the village comes from the cartulary of the Abbey of Saint-Sauveur in Redon, in 1100, under the name Chialvahe. This word is of Gallic origin and implies an earlier occupation of the area.

The second presupposes a Brittonic origin of the word calleva, meaning wood. In fact, the commune is located next to the Princé forest, which could be the case.

The third is of Gallo-Roman origin. Chauvé is thought to have come from the Latin calvacu, meaning bald, and would therefore refer to a wealthy Gallo-Roman landowner. However, there are no known archaeological traces of a possible Gallo-Roman villa in the commune. It should also be noted that the commune changed its name during the revolutionary period, to Haxo-les-Landes for a time.

A brief chronological description of the history of the commune: Prehistory Chauvé is one of the communes in the Pays de Retz with the most menhirs. These sandstone megaliths, erected around 3,500 BC, bear witness to human occupation of the area in the Neolithic period. Some of them are still standing on their lifting wedges.


Ancient times
Only the place names of the site, whether Gallic or Gallo-Roman in origin, attest to occupation of the land in antiquity. Unfortunately, there are no known archaeological remains in the area to date.

Middle Ages
Around the year 1000, the pago Chialvahé, i.e. the Chauvé area, came under the control of the Migron castle and Viscount Fredur. His son Droaloi allied himself with the abbot of Saint-Sauveur de Redon. Shortly after his death, his grandson Hurvodius donated his inherited possessions to them. In the 12th century, Chauvé was a priory with a chapel dedicated to Saint-Germain, a saint particularly venerated by Celtic and Breton monks. In the following centuries, the seigneuries multiplied through succession and dismemberment. Between the 13th and 14th centuries, the lord of Bois Joly founded the parish church on the approximate site of the current building, and chose Saint Martin of Tours as his patron saint.

The modern period
During the second half of the 18th century, three noble families lived in the commune of Chauvé: the Lelong de Ranlieu family, the Bercy family at Château de Terre-Neuve and the Lemeusnier des Graviers family at Château de la Rigaudière.

Contemporary period
Chauvé was one of the first communes in the Pays de Retz to revolt during the uprisings of 9 and 10 March 1793. A presbyteral school was set up in 1822 by Monsieur Dandé, the parish priest, but it closed in 1905. The bell tower of Chauvé church was bombed by the Germans on 14 February 1945.

Key dates in the history of the commune :
Around 3500 BC: prehistoric megalithic settlements, including the Platennes stone and the Croterie stone.
3rd-14th century: construction of a parish church under the patronage of Saint Martin of Tours.
9-10 March 1793: uprising of the inhabitants, start of the Vendée wars.
1849: construction of the current church.
January-February 1945: Chauvé is bombed by the Germans. Part of the church tower is destroyed.

Source : www.shpr.fr