La Roche-sur-Yon, Vendée Département, Pays de la Loire, France

🇫🇷 La Roche-sur-Yon is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France. It is the capital of the department.

Known for its historical significance and cultural heritage, La Roche-sur-Yon also houses a wide range of educational institutions, from primary schools to higher education establishments.

History The town expanded significantly after Napoleon I chose the site as the new préfecture of the Vendée on 25 May 1804, replacing Fontenay-le-Comte (then under its revolutionary name of Fontenay-le-Peuple). At the time, most of La Roche had been eradicated in the Vendée Revolt (1793–96); the renamed Napoléonville was laid out and a fresh population of soldiers and civil servants was brought in. Napoléonville was designed to accommodate 15,000 people.

The town was called successively: • La Roche-sur-Yon (during the Ancien Régime and the French First Republic) • Napoléon-sur-Yon (during the First French Empire) • Bourbon-Vendée (during the French Restoration) • Napoléon-Vendée (during the French Second Empire).

Geography The river Yon flows southward through the commune and crosses the town.

Administration The Communauté d'agglomération "La Roche-sur-Yon Agglomération" contains 15 communes: • Aubigny • Chaillé-sous-les-Ormeaux • La Chaize-le-Vicomte • Les Clouzeaux • Dompierre-sur-Yon • La Ferrière • Fougeré • Landeronde • Mouilleron-le-Captif • Nesmy • La Roche-sur-Yon • Saint-Florent-des-Bois • Le Tablier • Thorigny • Venansault

La Roche-sur-Yon is the chief town of the Arrondissement of La Roche-sur-Yon, which covers 11 cantons, 92 communes, and has a population of 230,386 (1999 census).

La-Roche-sur-Yon is chief town of two cantons, Canton of La Roche-sur-Yon-1 and Canton of La Roche-sur-Yon-2.

Tourist Industry • Napoléon square / Place Napoléon; • Saint-Louis church; • Saint-Louis church organ; • Saint Louis Church of La Roche-sur-Yon; • Theatre; • Old Hospital; • Museum; • Post office; • Prefecture building; • Sacré-cœur church; • Renaissance house (1566); • Old Palais de Justice; • Benjamin Rabier media library; • Train station; • Fontenelles Abbey.

Transport The Gare de La Roche-sur-Yon railway station offers connections to Nantes, Paris, Les Sables-d'Olonne, Bordeaux and several regional destinations. The A87 motorway connects La Roche-sur-Yon with Les Sables-d'Olonne and Angers, the A83 with Nantes and Niort.

Education: University La Roche-sur-Yon is home to several higher education institutions: • Université de Nantes — La Roche-sur-Yon Campus: An extension of the University of Nantes, this campus hosts a variety of undergraduate programs including Business Administration, Computer Science, and Law. • IUT La Roche-sur-Yon: A part of the University Institute of Technology, it provides vocational-technical education, granting two-year diplomas in fields like Mechanical Engineering, Business and Administration Management, and Multimedia and Internet Technologies. • ICES (Institut Catholique d'Études Supérieures): A private institution known for programs in humanities, social sciences, law, and business.

Specialized Institutions La Roche-sur-Yon also hosts several specialized educational institutions: • École Supérieure de Design de La Roche-sur-Yon: A design school offering programs in graphic design, product design, and interaction design. • Conservatoire à rayonnement départemental de La Roche-sur-Yon: A music, dance, and drama school providing a wide range of courses for all ages.

Sport In 2014 La Roche-sur-yon hosted the 2014 French championship of table tennis

La Roche-sur-Yon's Vendéspace hosted one of the first round ties of the 2014 Davis Cup tennis tournament over the weekend of 31 January - 2 February 2014. France hosted Australia as both teams competed for a place in the World Group quarterfinals.

In 2015 La Roche-sur-Yon, will host the 2015 FIRS Men's Roller Hockey World Cup, the first time that a World Cup of roller hockey is held in France.

In June 2015 La Roche-sur-Yon's Vendéspace will host the qualification tournament for the World Championships in Savate Combat