Collection(s) : Villes et rivages
Paru le 14/03/2006 | Relié sous jaquette 119 pages
Tout public
If Les Sables-d'Olonne has risen to the rank of darling of the Atlantic coast between Royan in the South and La Baule to the North, it's true to say that, just as tirelessly as the waves have beaten its shores, so the town has gradually forged an entirely maritime identity.
The resort has learned how to adapt to changing times and if the descendants of this sea-going people, have been somewhat submerged by the flow of incomers, the Sablais and Chaumois mentalities still persist in the genes, making La Chaume and Le Passage, two havens of calm, solidly anchored in local tradition, despite their turbulent history.
Hervé Retureau, currently a trainer in Lettres-Histoire at L'Ifacom de La Ferrière was born in Sables-d'Olonne and spent his childhood in the maritime district of La Chaume. An early passion for local history, together with a fascination for the seagoing community meant that the study of history was a natural choice at university. Author of several books on the above topics, he is also President of the Local History Society, Olona, to which he regularly contributes articles.
François-Xavier Grelet was born in 1958 by the river Loire in Nantes. After various travels, he spent some time in Vendée before moving to Paris where, in 1985, he set up as a freelance photographer working in advertising, industry and the press.
He retains an affection for harbour towns.
