Bouaye

History

Until the Second World War, Bouaye was primarily a rural commune. The technological advances of the 19th century, along with the development of road and rail infrastructure, encouraged the commune's slow transformation. The sedentary lifestyle of humans on the commune's land, linked to the proximity of Lake Grand-lieu, is attested from prehistoric times. In the 7th century, Saint-Hermeland came to evangelize the population. The land was then entirely covered by forest. It took the community five centuries of labor to clear the land, clearing forest for meadows and fields. Many plots of land have retained their names from the time when the inhabitants uprooted the forest: Bois-de-la-Noé, Ville-en-Bois, l'Épine, and Petit-Bois. The population grew very quickly. In the 15th century, Bouaye already had 500 inhabitants. Vineyard cultivation was already widespread. Grapes were pressed at the Château de la Sénaigerie. From 1580, the rector administered the parish and kept the civil status registers. The clergy held this position until the French Revolution. A first mayor was appointed in November 1792. In 1826, the first cadastral documents were drawn up. They estimated the municipal area at 1,349 hectares, 54 ares, and 68 centiares. A cantonal capital created during the Revolution, Bouaye experienced real administrative growth with its justice of the peace, its revision council, and its gendarmerie. The 20th century would further refine this development with electrification and the advent of the automobile. The Bosc landscape was changing, as were mentalities. The 1914-1918 war would indirectly result in the "emancipation of women." Headdresses would be relegated to the back of the drawer. Bouaye then had 1,205 inhabitants. The general post-war expansion gradually…

Most-observed species

• Pipistrellus kuhlii (Natterer, 1819)

  Pipistrellus kuhlii (Natterer, 1819) · Mammalia
  4,997
• European Robin

  Erithacus rubecula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,719
• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,662
• Common Pipistrelle

  Pipistrellus pipistrellus (Schreber, 1774) · Mammalia
  2,660
• Eurasian Blue Tit

  Cyanistes caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,293
• Common Chaffinch

  Fringilla coelebs Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,194
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,956
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,852

Most recent

• M 4 — 2019-06-21
  2 km WSW of Vihiers, France
• M 4.1 — 2018-02-12
  3 km SSE of La Meilleraie-Tillay, France
• M 3.6 — 2017-09-28
  1 km WNW of Tresbœuf, France
• M 3.5 — 2016-06-19
  4 km ESE of La Jumellière, France
• M 2.5 — 2008-08-11
  3 km NW of Péaule, France
• M 2.9 — 2008-07-23
  3 km SW of Caden, France