Les Sables d'Olonne, an industrial town?
In the 19th century, the port of Les Sables d'Olonne was in the throes of change: the port activity linked to the Great Cod Fishery to Newfoundland had come to an end and the port really needed an activity to boost fishing.
Nicolas Appert's invention of a process for preserving food in hermetically sealed, sterile containers was to have an impressive impact on food preservation. The very first sardine canning factory was set up in Les Sables d'Olonne in 1838, and this was to be followed by a considerable boom in the canning industry, with the establishment of numerous fish canning and confectionery factories.
This was a real godsend for the revival of fishing in Sablais, but also for all the seafaring trades linked to fishing: shipbuilding, sailmaking and deck fittings, etc.
Sardines and tuna became the port's specialities. Caught between April/May and November, the fish were canned in these factories, where the sailors' wives and, in season, Breton women who had come to reinforce the workforce, worked.
At the beginning of the 20th century, there were 14 canning factories in the port, of which only two were located on the Les Sables side, in the Passage district: the Praud-le Drezen and Saupiquet factories. The other canneries were all located on the La Chaume side. This area became the industrial and working-class district of Les Sables d'Olonne, with numerous brands located on the port and in the town: Amieux, Maingourd, Graciet, Penanros, Maredlo, Rodel, Basset, Guerlesquin, Tirot, Roulland, Jacq, Philippe and Canaud...
In summer, daily life was punctuated by the sound of the sirens of the canneries (each with its own siren), which signalled to the women the arrival of the fish. The sardines were first salted. The sardines were then dried in the sun in the factory courtyard, then dipped in boiling oil before being canned.
After the Second World War, the motorisation of boats and changes in fishing techniques led to the diversification of fishing in Sablais.
This activity continued until the 1970s, but gradually the factories closed their doors one after the other...
Born in Les Sables-d'Olonne, she developed a passion for history and heritage at an early age.
Passionate about architecture, she has set up a number of guided tours designed to showcase the local heritage, always seeking to link the built and the human.
