Travel Guide Saint-Gervais

Saint-Gervais, on its rocky promontory which separates the marshes of Monts and Bouin, has been the obligatory stopover on the road linking the Bocage to the Atlantic coast since the earliest antiquity, this small market garden town having originated around a Gallo-Roman town. On the road to Bouin, a cave and, a few hectom away, the 13th century Bordevert chapel are worth a visit. Several old mills are located in the municipality: the Moulin de la Rive, the Moulin des Touches Rouches, and the Moulin du Chatenay, the oldest in the canton, which dates back to 1215 and is built on the highest point of the municipality. Another monument is the Ferme de Souché, which served as the headquarters of the Vendée chief of Charette during the fighting between 1793 and 1794 against General Haxo's troops. Saint-Gervais has been the capital of horses since the end of the 19th century and has the oldest rural equestrian society in France, founded in 1931. The commune also hosts an important breeding station for national stud farms. The enlightened turfists who remember the famous Ideal du Gazeau, three-time winner of the Prix d'Amérique, will be able to shed a small tear by visiting, close by, the stable where he was born.