Saint-Maxire et sa fête des bateaux fleuris

At the junction of Granite Cake and the Niortaise limestone plain, the village with fourteen hamlets is crossed by three ancient paths. St-Maxire certainly derives from the distorted name of St Mathias, apostle of Jesus. The walls and the typical architecture of this village of Poitevin invite you to stroll by the wash houses, mills, houses and manors. Built on the banks of the Sèvre Niortaise, the commune celebrates each year the river with the festival of flowering boats, procession of boats decorated each from 10 to 15.000 paper flowers and which mobilizes nearly 400 volunteers.

To see: St-Mathias church (XIXth century), Oriou castle (private), the Grand Portail (manor house), the Bobinière known as the Logis, the Colombier, Croisette house, monumental staircase of the ancient castle of Espinasse, water mills, three wash-houses and "the stone that turns" (vestige of a megalith).