Saint-Michel-en-l'Herm

Commune in Pays de la Loire, France

Location of Saint-Michel-en-l'Herm

(2020–2026) Éric Sautreau^[1]Area

54.8 km² (21.2 sq mi)Population

(2021)^[2]

2,329 • Density43/km² (110/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)INSEE/Postal code

85255 /85580

Elevation1–17 m (3.3–55.8 ft)¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Saint-Michel-en-l'Herm (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃ miʃɛl ɑ̃ lɛʁm]) is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.

One of the most famous local landmarks is the Abbey of Saint-Michel-en-l'Herm. The abbey dates from 682 AD when it was constructed by Benedictine monks from Noirmoutier. In 1569, Protestants attacked it, killing approximately 200 monks. The motives for the attack are still debated, but one theory is that the attackers sought treasure and manuscripts hidden by the Bishop of Luçon.

Population

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1968	1,898	—
1975	1,937	+0.29%
1982	1,944	+0.05%
1990	1,999	+0.35%
1999	1,931	−0.38%
2007	2,010	+0.50%
2012	2,281	+2.56%
2017	2,352	+0.61%
Source: INSEE^[3]

References

^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 9 August 2021.
^ "Populations légales 2021". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE