Le port de la Morinière

History of Port-St-Père

The lands of Port-Saint-Père were occupied very early on:


Merovingian sarcophagi were found in the village in the 19th century,
Gallo-Roman remains of an early structure crossing the Acheneau have also been identified.


This is where the place name comes into its own.
Originally, Portus Sancti Petri meant the passage dedicated to Saint Peter, the port of Saint Peter. The name of the commune became "le port de saint père" and then Port-Saint-Père.
It should be noted that during the French Revolution, in a bid to de-Christianise the area, Port-Saint-Père abandoned its "Saint-Pierre" name and was given the name Port Boulay, in reference to the administrator of the Paimboeuf district, Boulay Paty.

In the Middle Ages, feudal strongholds were established along the Tenu, which saw a great deal of maritime traffic as a result of burgeoning trade.
These included the seigneuries of La Tour and La Rivière in the parish of Portus Sancti Petri.

Situated on the waterway leading to the Loire, Port-Saint-Père became a trading centre.


The port of La Morinière

At the time, the port of La Morinière was located on the salt route (from Bourgneuf to Nantes). It became a strategic crossing point and developed very quickly. Economic activity enriched its lords.

Families of boatmen established themselves in the commune from the early 18th century.
Loads were transported on the "chalandière", the narrow channel where the barges moored to navigate the marsh channels.
The barge at the port of La Morinière was used to load and unload cereals, fodder and wine, as well as to import tuffeau from the Saumur region and quicklime from Chalonnes.

From 1889 to 1938, the Acheneau was used mainly to transfer energy and materials (wood, stone or sand).
The port of La Morinière saw considerable traffic and remained very active until the beginning of the 20th century.


The little extra :
From this port, you can discover the river and its landscapes with our partner Escapade Nature, which offers boat hire.
Choose your boat to discover the Acheneau!


by canoe
by kayak
in a pedalo
and even an electric boat