CHOLET

town, Maine-et-Loire dpartement, Pays de la Loire rgion, western France. It lies along the Moine River, southeast of Nantes. First mentioned in the 11th century, the name Cholet was probably derived from the Latin cauletum ("cabbage") for the local growing of cabbage. The town's older buildings were destroyed (1793-96) during the Wars of the Vende. The town was slowly rebuilt, mainly in the 19th century; it is dominated by the Church of the Sacred Heart (1939), built in a modernized Romano-Byzantine style. Cholet is an important cattle market, with some light industry. The centre of a small traditional region (pays) called the Choletais, the town is known for its agriculture-based industries; from ancient times it has made linen products, supplemented since the 19th century by the production of cotton. More recent manufactures are shoes, toys and baby buggies (prams), machinery, radio-electronics, televisions, and radar. Pop. (1982) 51,620.