Sainte-Marie-sur-Mer (; ), officially Sainte-Marie, is a former commune in the Pays de Retz, situated in the Loire-Atlantique département and in the French région of Pays de la Loire. From 1973, it was absorbed by the neighbouring commune of Pornic and from 1 July 2007 it became a subdivision of this commune.
The commune forms a part of Brittany, in the traditional county of Retz and in the historical Pays Nantais.
The inhabitants of Sainte-Marie are known as the Sanmaritains and Sanmaritaines.
Geography
Sainte-Marie-sur-Mer is a market town on the Côte de Jade, with a jagged coastline strewn with coves.
History At one time, during the French First Republic, Sainte-Marie was known as Roche-Peltier.
The commune of Sainte-Marie was attached to that of Pornic on 1 June 1973 (under the terms of the Marcelin law of 16 July 1971).
On 16 May 2006 the Sanmaritains voted for the complete amalgamation of the communes of Sainte-Marie-sur-Mer and Pornic with 50.83% of the vote in favour (with a difference of just 47 votes out of more than 2800 voters). In effect, from 1973, Sainte-Marie-sur-Mer possessed a status of associated commune with Pornic and removed the deputy mayor of Sainte-Marie, Jean-François Cossé who had opposed the amalgamation of the two communes.
On 1 July 2007, after the acceptance by the prefect of the amalgamation of the communes of Pornic and Sainte-Marie-sur-Mer, the latter lost its status as associated commune and became a subdivision of Pornic .
List of mayors Abbé Beaudouin -1823 Bodin des Plantes 1823- Edouard Thomas -1828 François Raffin 1828- (maire provisoire) Edouard Thomas -1852 René Laraison 1852-1870 Michel Picot 1870-1884 François Maurice 1884-1886 Jules Galot 1886- Guillon Constant 1886- Souchlaud Bézier Rouhaud
After the amalgamation with the town of Pornic, Sainte-Marie-sur-Mer and the aforementioned Pornic came to represent a single electoral zone.
Demographics
Places and monuments Sainte-Marie church Le chateau de La Mossardière Commonwealth war graves in Ste. Marie Communal Cemetery
People from Sainte-Marie-sur-Mer René Babonneau
Resiting of the market Since the end of March 2007 the market was moved creating a heated debate between tradesman, customers and the town hall. In the Courier of the Pays de Retz of 5 April 2007 the writer of the article spoke of a toxic atmosphere in the town.
See also Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department Baie de Bourgneuf Côte de Jade Pays de Retz Pornic Pêcherie
References ¹ - Source : Ouest France.
External links Infobretagne.com - History of Pornic, Sainte-Marie and Clion
Notes
This article is based on the equivalent article from the French Wikipedia, consulted on March 6th 2008.