Cholet
Cholet
Location within Pays de la Loire region  Cholet
Administration
Country	France
Region	Pays de la Loire
Department	Maine-et-Loire
Arrondissement	Cholet
Intercommunality	Choletais
Mayor	Gilles Bourdouleix (CNIP) (2008–2014)
Statistics
Elevation	63–184 m (207–604 ft) (avg. 124 m or 407 ft)
Land area1	87.47 km2 (33.77 sq mi)
Population2	54,204  (1999)
- Density	620 /km2 (1,600 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	49099/ 49300
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Coordinates: 47°03′36″N 0°52′42″W / 47.060000°N 0.8783°W / 47.060000; -0.8783

Cholet (French pronunciation: [ʃɔ.lɛ], probably from Latin cauletum, "cabbage") is a commune of western France in the Maine-et-Loire department. It was the capital of military Vendée.

Demographics [link]

In 1906, the population was 16,554 and in 2006 : 54,632.

Geography [link]

Cholet stands on an eminence on the right bank of the Moine, which used to be crossed by a bridge from the fifteenth century. It is about 50 km southeast of Nantes.

History [link]

The town owes the rise of its prosperity to the settlement of weavers there by Édouard Colbert, count of Maulévrier, a brother of the great Jean-Baptiste Colbert. It then became an estate of Gabriel François, Count de Rougé and Marquess of Cholet, who developed the city and its economy. The main commercial mall being built this year is named after him: The "Arcades Rougé".

During the early years of the French revolutionary wars, the town found itself at the heart of the counter-revolutionary struggle in the Vendée, culminating in October 1793 with the Battle of Cholet which was won by the republicans and followed by a period of brutal government repression.

Cholet hosted Stage 4 (Individual Time Trial) and was the departure of Stage 5 in the 2008 Tour de France.

According to the Jan 10th 1885 edition of Corbett's Herald, a temporary theatre had collapsed on an audience of 1,000, causing 150 fatalities.

Sights [link]

A public garden occupies the site of the old castle; the public buildings and churches, for example the Church of the Sacred Heart (1939), are modern.

Megalithic monuments are numerous in the neighborhood.^{[citation needed]}

A textile museum (Musée du Textile) exists to conserve the traditional machines used to create the famous handkerchiefs made in this town, as well as the techniques used to make them and the oral and local history associated with the industry.

Economy [link]

There are granite quarries in the vicinity of the town. The chief industry is the manufacture of linen and linen handkerchiefs, which is also carried on in the neighboring communes on a large scale. Woolen and cotton fabrics are also produced, and bleaching and the manufacture of preserved foods are carried on. Cholet is the most important center in France for the sale of fat cattle, sheep and pigs, for which Paris is the chief market.

Transportation [link]

Cholet Aérodrome serves Cholet. The Gare de Cholet railway station offers regional services towards Nantes and Angers.

Twin towns [link]

Cholet is twinned with:

• Oldenburg, Germany since 1985
• Dorohoi, Romania
• Solihull, United Kingdom
• Denia, Spain
• Sao, Burkina Faso - cooperation
• Araya, Lebanon
• Pierre-De Saurel Regional County Municipality (Quebec, Canada) - twinning of the communauté d'agglomération

Notable people [link]

• Antoine Rigaudeau
• François Morellet

See also [link]

• Communes of the Maine-et-Loire department

References [link]

• INSEE commune file
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

External links [link]

• Official website

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cholet

v t e Communes of the Maine-et-Loire department Les Alleuds Allonnes Ambillou-Château Andard Andigné Andrezé Angers Angrie Antoigné Armaillé Artannes-sur-Thouet Aubigné-sur-Layon Auverse Aviré Avrillé Baracé Baugé Bauné Beaucouzé Beaufort-en-Vallée Beaulieu-sur-Layon Beaupréau Beausse Beauvau Bécon-les-Granits Bégrolles-en-Mauges Béhuard Blaison-Gohier Blou Bocé La Bohalle La Boissière-sur-Èvre Botz-en-Mauges Bouchemaine Bouillé-Ménard Le Bourg-d'Iré Bourg-l'Évêque Bourgneuf-en-Mauges Bouzillé Brain-sur-Allonnes Brain-sur-l'Authion Brain-sur-Longuenée Breil La Breille-les-Pins Brézé Brigné Briollay Brion Brissac-Quincé Brissarthe Broc Brossay Candé Cantenay-Épinard Carbay Cernusson Les Cerqueux Les Cerqueux-sous-Passavant Chacé Challain-la-Potherie Chalonnes-sous-le-Lude Chalonnes-sur-Loire Chambellay Champigné Champ-sur-Layon Champteussé-sur-Baconne Champtocé-sur-Loire Champtoceaux Chanteloup-les-Bois Chanzeaux La Chapelle-du-Genêt La Chapelle-Hullin La Chapelle-Rousselin La Chapelle-Saint-Florent La Chapelle-Saint-Laud La Chapelle-sur-Oudon Charcé-Saint-Ellier-sur-Aubance Chartrené Châteauneuf-sur-Sarthe Châtelais Chaudefonds-sur-Layon Chaudron-en-Mauges Chaumont-d'Anjou La Chaussaire Chavagnes Chavaignes Chazé-Henry Chazé-sur-Argos Cheffes Chemellier Chemillé Chemiré-sur-Sarthe Chênehutte-Trèves-Cunault Chenillé-Changé Cherré Cheviré-le-Rouge Chigné Cholet Cizay-la-Madeleine Clefs Cléré-sur-Layon Combrée Concourson-sur-Layon Contigné Corné Cornillé-les-Caves La Cornuaille Coron Corzé Cossé-d'Anjou Le Coudray-Macouard Courchamps Courléon Coutures Cuon La Daguenière Daumeray Denée Dénezé-sous-Doué Dénezé-sous-le-Lude Distré Doué-la-Fontaine Drain Durtal Échemiré Écouflant Écuillé Épieds Étriché Faveraye-Mâchelles Faye-d'Anjou Feneu La Ferrière-de-Flée Le Fief-Sauvin Fontaine-Guérin Fontaine-Milon Fontevraud-l'Abbaye Forges La Fosse-de-Tigné Fougeré Freigné Le Fuilet Gée Gené Gennes Genneteil Gesté Grez-Neuville Grézillé Grugé-l'Hôpital Le Guédéniau L'Hôtellerie-de-Flée Huillé Ingrandes La Jaille-Yvon Jallais Jarzé La Jubaudière Juigné-sur-Loire La Jumellière Juvardeil La Lande-Chasles Landemont Lasse Lézigné Linières-Bouton Le Lion-d'Angers Liré Loiré Le Longeron Longué-Jumelles Louerre Louresse-Rochemenier Le Louroux-Béconnais Louvaines Lué-en-Baugeois Luigné Marans Marcé Marigné Le Marillais Martigné-Briand Maulévrier Le May-sur-Èvre Mazé Mazières-en-Mauges La Meignanne Meigné Meigné-le-Vicomte Melay La Membrolle-sur-Longuenée La Ménitré Méon Le Mesnil-en-Vallée Miré Montfaucon-Montigné Montfort Montguillon Montigné-lès-Rairies Montilliers Montjean-sur-Loire Montpollin Montreuil-Bellay Montreuil-Juigné Montreuil-sur-Loir Montreuil-sur-Maine Montrevault Montsoreau Morannes Mouliherne Mozé-sur-Louet Mûrs-Erigné Neuillé Neuvy-en-Mauges Noëllet Notre-Dame-d'Allençon Noyant Noyant-la-Gravoyère Noyant-la-Plaine Nuaillé Nueil-sur-Layon Nyoiseau Parçay-les-Pins Parnay Passavant-sur-Layon La Pellerine Pellouailles-les-Vignes Le Pin-en-Mauges La Plaine Le Plessis-Grammoire Le Plessis-Macé La Poitevinière La Pommeraye Pontigné Les Ponts-de-Cé La Possonnière Pouancé La Pouëze La Prévière Pruillé Le Puiset-Doré Le Puy-Notre-Dame Querré Rablay-sur-Layon Les Rairies La Renaudière Rochefort-sur-Loire La Romagne Les Rosiers-sur-Loire Rou-Marson Roussay Saint-André-de-la-Marche Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné Saint-Augustin-des-Bois Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou Saint-Christophe-du-Bois Saint-Christophe-la-Couperie Saint-Clément-de-la-Place Saint-Clément-des-Levées Saint-Crespin-sur-Moine Saint-Cyr-en-Bourg Sainte-Christine Sainte-Gemmes-d'Andigné Sainte-Gemmes-sur-Loire Saint-Florent-le-Vieil Saint-Georges-des-Gardes Saint-Georges-des-Sept-Voies Saint-Georges-du-Bois Saint-Georges-sur-Layon Saint-Georges-sur-Loire Saint-Germain-des-Prés Saint-Germain-sur-Moine Saint-Jean-de-la-Croix Saint-Jean-de-Linières Saint-Jean-des-Mauvrets Saint-Just-sur-Dive Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay Saint-Lambert-la-Potherie Saint-Laurent-de-la-Plaine Saint-Laurent-des-Autels Saint-Laurent-du-Mottay Saint-Léger-des-Bois Saint-Léger-sous-Cholet Saint-Lézin Saint-Macaire-du-Bois Saint-Macaire-en-Mauges Saint-Martin-d'Arcé Saint-Martin-de-la-Place Saint-Martin-du-Bois Saint-Martin-du-Fouilloux Saint-Mathurin-sur-Loire Saint-Melaine-sur-Aubance Saint-Michel-et-Chanveaux Saint-Paul-du-Bois Saint-Philbert-du-Peuple Saint-Philbert-en-Mauges Saint-Pierre-Montlimart Saint-Quentin-en-Mauges Saint-Quentin-lès-Beaurepaire Saint-Rémy-en-Mauges Saint-Rémy-la-Varenne Saint-Saturnin-sur-Loire Saint-Sauveur-de-Flée Saint-Sauveur-de-Landemont Saint-Sigismond Saint-Sulpice Saint-Sylvain-d'Anjou La Salle-de-Vihiers La Salle-et-Chapelle-Aubry Sarrigné Saulgé-l'Hôpital Saumur Savennières Sceaux-d'Anjou Segré La Séguinière Seiches-sur-le-Loir Sermaise Sœurdres Somloire Soucelles Soulaines-sur-Aubance Soulaire-et-Bourg Souzay-Champigny Tancoigné La Tessoualle Thorigné-d'Anjou Thouarcé Le Thoureil Tiercé Tigné Tillières Torfou La Tourlandry Toutlemonde Trélazé Le Tremblay Trémentines Trémont Turquant Les Ulmes Valanjou La Varenne Varennes-sur-Loire Varrains Vauchrétien Vaudelnay Vaulandry Les Verchers-sur-Layon Vergonnes Vern-d'Anjou Vernantes Vernoil-le-Fourrier Verrie Vezins Le Vieil-Baugé Vihiers Villebernier Villedieu-la-Blouère Villemoisan Villevêque Vivy Yzernay

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