Marais Poitevin

The Marais Poitevin Marsh is a region on the Gulf of Poitou on the west coast of France north of La Rochelle. It forms the border between the historic French provinces Aunis and Poitou. Because of its channels is the wet part of Venise Verte, the Green Venice, called.

History

Initially, the area was flooded by the sea. After this had gradually withdrawn, remained a swampy landscape. From the 11th century by the monks of the surrounding monasteries ( Maillezais, Saint -Pierre- le -Vieux, l' Absie, Saint- Maixent, More Illes) was started to make the area suitable for agriculture with its fertile soil. For this purpose, the land was drained by means of channels and dikes in the river Sevre Niortaise; subsequently developed in these drained parts of the first agricultural plots. Under Henry IV the work has been intensified; this took also added Dutch.

Today, the Marais Poitevin extends over approximately 100,000 acres (in three departments: Vendee, Deux -Sèvres and Charente- Maritime). Its two components, the drained and the wet Marais ( the Venise Verte ) occupy 70% and 30 % of the total.