The Brittany–Poitou marches in the 15th century.The battle of la Penissière in La Bernardière on 6 June 1832.
The name Cugand is attested in 1287 as Cugant.[4] La Bernardière was once known as La Bernardière-en-Forêts, but the forests have long since disappeared.[5]
In the 19th century, Cugand became the most industrialized town in the Vendée. The paper and weaving businesses prospered thanks to a favourable tax regime and the ability to power tanning, fulling and papermills using the Sèvre Nantaise. The last textile mill in Cugand operated until 1985.[2]
On 6 June 1832, one of the last events [fr] in the Duchess of Berry's abortive uprising [fr] to put her son Henri on the French throne occurred in La Bernardière, when a group of Legitimists was besieged at the chateau of la Penissière by Orléanist troops.[5]
In order to more efficiently pool their resources, the Cugand and La Bernardière agreed to merge to form the new commune of Cugand-la-Bernardière, effective 1 January 2025.[1][6] On 6 January, the councillors of the former communes elected Claude Durand, mayor of La Bernardière since 1989, as the mayor of the new commune.[7] The former communes have been replaced by delegated communes, each having a delegated mayor,[1] and the town halls in both communes will remain functional.[6]
Economy
There are several business and industrial parks in Cugand,[8] where the largest employer is MéO, a manufacturer of windows and doors.[9] La Bernardière's economy is more focused on agriculture and small businesses.[10][11]
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