LA ROCHE-SUR-YON

town, capital of Vende dpartement, Pays de la Loire rgion, western France, south of Nantes. The Vende region had been pacified at the time of the French Revolution but still remained disaffected after the counterrevolutionary insurrection of 1793; Napoleon in 1804 established a military and administrative town in the centre of the dpartement. It was built on the site of the decayed township of La Roche-sur-Yon, which had been burned down by the Republican troops. The new town was built according to plan, with wide rectangular streets, barracks, stables, and a vast parade ground. The town is an agricultural centre. Traditional local industries include tanning and the manufacture of nails and needles; more recent industry includes household appliances. Pop. (1990) 48,518.