Benet | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 46°22′06″N 0°35′46″W / 46.3683°N 0.5961°W | |
Country | France |
Region | Pays de la Loire |
Department | Vendée |
Arrondissement | Fontenay-le-Comte |
Canton | Fontenay-le-Comte |
Government | |
• Mayor (2023–2026) | Camille Fontaine[1] |
Area 1 | 50.01 km2 (19.31 sq mi) |
Population (2021)[2] | 4,059 |
• Density | 81/km2 (210/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
INSEE/Postal code | 85020 /85490 |
Elevation | 44 m (144 ft) |
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. |
Benet (French pronunciation: [bənɛ]) is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.
The former communes of Lesson, Sainte-Christine and Aziré were joined to the commune of Benet in 1973.
Close to Niort (11 kilometres or 7 miles) in Deux-Sèvres and Fontenay-le-Comte (19 km or 12 mi) in Vendée, Benet is located near :
The diversity of the landscapes, the limestone plain, along with the marshes of Sainte-Christine, Aziré and Nessier, make this commune a varied place, rich of its differences.
The Vrizon is the underground river that goes through the commune.
Benet is located close to the A83 and A10 motorways, connecting the commune to some major cities, as Nantes (130 km or 81 mi), Poitiers (98 km or 61 mi), Bordeaux (193 km or 120 mi), or Paris (428 km or 266 mi). Benet is also situated 64 km (40 mi) from the tourist city of La Rochelle.
Period | Identity | Party |
---|---|---|
2001 - 2023 | Daniel David | Socialist Party |
2023 - | Camille Fontaine |
Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
---|---|---|
1968 | 2,583 | — |
1975 | 2,761 | +0.96% |
1982 | 3,062 | +1.49% |
1990 | 3,224 | +0.65% |
1999 | 3,202 | −0.08% |
2007 | 3,565 | +1.35% |
2012 | 3,853 | +1.57% |
2017 | 4,011 | +0.81% |
Source: INSEE[3] |
The Sainte-Eulalie Church, on the historical register, constitutes an unmissable stage in the tour of the Romance Churches and Abbeys of the region.
A few kilometres away, it is possible to visit the historic site of the Maillezais Cathedral.
A wind farm was created near Lesson in 2007, and several months later, a second was established 3 km (2 mi) away from the first. A total of ten wind turbines overhang the commune.