Deux Sèvres - Introduction

The department of the Deux-Sèvres is a part of the Poitou-Charentes region in western France. The origin of the name: Deux-Sèvres comes from the fact that it literally means "two Sèvres": the Sèvre Nantaise and the Sèvre Niortaise. These are two rivers which have their sources in the department. The entire département is famed for its beautiful rivers and wooded valleys, for example in the Sèvre Nantaise Valley, the area around the village of Mothe Saint Héray and the Thouet Valley. Deux-Sèvres was one of the 83 original départements which were created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790.

The departmental borders were changed in 1973 when the inhabitants of the little commune of Puy-Saint-Bonnet formally became associated with the rapidly growing adjacent commune of Cholet. Cholet is in fact in the neighbouring department of Maine-et-Loire. In order to avoid the associated communes being administered in separate departments, Puy-Saint-Bonnet was transferred into Maine-et-Loire.

In this department you will find some of Europe’s most imposing, Romanesque churches, châteaux and museums.

The département it is still very rural: three-quarters of the area consists of arable land. Wheat and oats are the main products grown, as well as potatoes, apples, and walnuts. Niort is definitely a centre for growing vegetables and angelica. Some beetroot is grown in the district of Melle. Vineyards are numerous in the north (Vins du Haut-Poitou), and there are some in the south.

The département is also well known for the breeding of cattle, mules, and horses. The Parthenais breed of cattle is named after the town of Parthenay in the north of the département. Also, dairy products are produced in large quantities (butter in Échiré and goats' cheese).

Textiles and shoe making, furnitures, mechanics, automotive (Heuliez and Irisbus), chemistry (Rhodia in Melle), food industry and food packaging are the major industries outside of the capital.