La Mothe-Saint-Héray

Churches in Haut Val de Sèvre

Dedicated to Saint-Yriex or Héray.
The romanesque building, preceding this church, has entirely disappeared and has been replaced by this gothic church from the 15th century.
Church with three naves with gothic filleted vaults.
To point out :
The keystones emblazoned with the arms of builders and their related families; the chevet with large gothic opening and a portal topped by a rose-window.

Le moulin l'Abbé

A mill on the Sèvre Niortaise river is attested at that place at the beginning of the 19th century.
The owner turned it into a "moulin à reprise" (mill stubbing out the grain several times) in 1920. His daughter Madeleine Gelin, a single woman, gave the building in an annuity to the commune (administrative unit) of La Mothe-Saint-Héray in 1988.
All was quite neglected.
The commune repaired the roof and floors and then a team of benevolents reassembled all the mechanisms bringing the mill into use again.
The mill has been open to public since 1991. The Marais Poitevin Regional Park placed in position a show providing sound effects with light-spots lighting in 1994.
It is also the seat of the La Mothe-Saint-Héray Tourist bureau and the "Rosière" museum. Some rooms about the topics of " Water and Forest " will be soon open.

Castles in Haut Val de Sèvre

A beautiful "Orangerie" and two beautiful detached-buildings from the 17th have been safeguarded.
The large room in the first floor welcomes many exhibitions.

La Villedieu de Comblé
Real jewel from italian Renaissance. Claude Gillier rebuilt the castle in that style (gallery, wry faces masks, two turrets...) after a journey in Italy at the end of the 16th century. The additions from the 19th century have the same style.