5000 B.C. The prehistorical man in this ultimate mesolithic period lives in the cliffs of Sainte Marie.
4000/3500 B.C. Many megalithic monuments get erected by the neolithic man along the seashore (burial site). One example: the tumulus of Les Mousseaux. 56 B.C. The Roman legions and Julius Caesar are nearby Pornic and join this region to the Aquitaine.
Around 600/700 A vicus is created in Le Clion sur Mer (first community). After 700 A priory is built by the monks of Saint Philbert in Sainte Marie 712 The Saracens are in the bay. 799 The Vikings are now present. 800 The Pornic area is integrated to the county of Herbauges. After 830 A castrum is built probably in order to defend the estuary of Haute Perche. 851 Erispoe takes over the Pays de Retz joining Brittany. 937-942 Alain Barbetorte chases the Vikings to Pornic and gets the sovereignty of the Pays d'Herbauges. The city takes slowly shape. Source: "PORNIC - Etoile et Reine" by Dominique PIERRELEE, Ed. SILOË, Laval, 1998
After 1000 The priory in Sainte Marie is given up to the religious community of Saint Sauveur de Redon. After 1050 Pornic becomes part of the barony of Rais de Machecoul. 1083 The name of Pornic (PORSNITI) appears for the first time in the records.
Around 1100 A fortified castle is born at the crossing point of the rivers Haute Perche, Dette and Cracaud. 1150/1170 The Augustins of Saint Médard de Doulon join the foundation of Sainte Marie.
1183 Sainte Marie shows its noble quarterings and adds the name Pornic to its own in order to demonstrate the natural connection between both places. After 1130 The tide mills in Pornic become some key elements of the local economy. 1252 The barony of Rais (and the lordship of Pornic) comes under the authority of the Chabot. 1342 The English take control of the bay of Brittany. 1362 Gautier Huet, an English captain, governs the Pays de Retz. Between 1369 and 1380 Pornic is probably under the authority of the duke of Brittany. 1381 Jeanne de Rais, Girard Chabot's daughter, is forced to give up the lordship of Pornic to the duke of Brittany. 1399 The duke of Brittany Jean IV is compelled to hand over Pornic to Jeanne de Rais. 1404 Guy de Laval takes possession of the barony of Rais. 1422 Gilles de Rais comes into possession of the barony of Rais. 1435 The duke of Brittany, Jean V, tries to get back the barony of Rais through Gilles de Rais's disastrous administration and acquires it in 1437. 1444 The duke of Brittany gives the barony of Rais to Marie, Gilles de Rais's daughter. 1497 André de Chauvigny reconstitute the integrity of the barony of Rais. The Rais have entered Brittany. Source: "PORNIC - Etoile et Reine" by Dominique PIERRELEE, Ed. SILOË, Laval, 1998
1548 Only Pornic appears in the Pays de Retz on a map of the Brittany coast. 1581 Under Catherine de Clermont and Albert de Gondi (or Gondy), the Barony of Rais is erected as a duchesse and the spelling of "Rais" becomes "Retz". 1591 The Leagers take over Pornic. 1597 Albert de Gondi, Duke of Retz, friend of Henry IV, receives the feodal avowal from Saint-André of Pornic.
From 1600 Piracy harms the economy of Pornic. 1609 Henry de Gondy, Duke of Retz, decides to build the covered market. 1617 Three vessels coming from Pornic are captured by the Turks near the Pilier. After 1668 Pornic becomes a privateer port.
From 1700 Since the XVIIth century, Pornic is one of the most important cod fishing port (on the banks of Terre Neuve / Newfoundland - Canada) and becomes an important port of trades. The shipyards develop. The coastal path along the seashore is created in order to enable the "gabelous" (customs officers in charge of gathering the salt tax) to watch over the shipping traffic and fight against smuggling. The North Atlantic triangular trade expands. 1721 Pornic's General Hospital is created on the estate of Montplaisir. 1747 The Duke of Penthièvre, Brittany's Governor, inspects the defense of the Pornic seacoast. 1758 Pornic becomes the headquarter of a port authority for the coastguards. 1762 The Duke of Aiguillon, Brittany's Governor, inspects the defense of the Pornic seacoast. 1774 The Marquis of Brie-Serrant acquires the Barony of Retz. He thinks about building a channel connecting Pornic to the river Loire and a port of war in Pornic. 1780 FIve vessels coming from Pornic sink with their 36 sailors while fishing. 1783 The Priest Guillaume Galipaud is at the origin of the many stairs going down from the uptown to the quartier des Sables (Sand area). The people working at those stairs were jobless at the time. 1793 On March 23rd, Pornic, a Republican City, gets attacked, taken over and lost by the insurgents of the Vendée. Over 200 dead people get buried nearby La Sablière at the foot of the Huguenot Cross. On March 27th, the insurgents of the Vendée, under the authority of Charette de la Contrie, take over Pornic again setting it on fire. They finally lose control at the end of April. Source: "Pornic - Etoile et Reine" by Dominique PIERRELEE, Ed. SILOË, Laval, 1998
After 1800 Many people come to enjoy the water at the source of Malmy; Pornic turns to a holiday resort. The customs officers get more and more organized to fight against smuggling. After 1814 The quartier des Sables (Sand area) gets urbanized. The docksides will emerge in the middle of the XIXth century.
1824 Joseph le Breton, the deputy mayor of Nantes, comes into possession of the château of Pornic, indemnifying a man called "Misère", inhabitant of the château. 1831 Lebreton creates the seabathing resort of Pornic on the Place de la Terrasse. In the meanwhile, a Spa centre opens at the foot of the château. It is administrated by Dr. Auguste Guilmin. Pornic raises to a famous seaside resort, attracting especially Ligerian (people living nearby the river Loire) clients. 1835 Over 1000 trade ships come and go in the port of Pornic.
1836 The areas of Gourmalon, La Noëveillard, La Dette, Le Cendier and La Croix Moinard integrate Pornic.
1840 The Villa Malouine is erected between 1836 and 1840. Dr. Guilmin publishes a guide intitled "L'Album du Baigneur" which codifies the different sorts of seabathing. After 1850 Many famous people come to Pornic, such as Gustave Flaubert, Emile Littré, Ernest Renan, Charles Garnier, Jules Michelet. Some magnificent villas in all styles are built between Pornic and Sainte Marie and then on the other side of the ria, in the area of Gourmalon. The Mayor, Bocandé, makes the best out the parcels of land between Pornic and Sainte Marie and carries out the accessibility to the beach of La Noëveillard.
From 1870 A casino appears in La Noëveillard. Gourmalon urbanizes. 1875 On September 11th the railway network connecting Nantes to Pornic opens. Pornic's reputation will be enhanced through those pleasure trains.
After 1875 The shipyards Fortineau have reached the peak of their activity. Through the local trade of flour, coal (La Raison), wood (Grimaud), the port counts many visits of ships, especially those famous Danish schooners coming from the North of Europe. After 1880 Pornic's carnival is getting bigger thanks to colourful floats and music. 1885 The Casino de la Source (future Casino des Flots) is the work of the architect Léon Lenoir from Nantes.
1892 Pierre-Auguste Renoir stays in Pornic and paints 4 famous pictures, for instance "Voile Blanche" and "Plage de Pornic". Source: "PORNIC - Etoile et Reine" by Dominique PIERRELEE, Ed. SILOË, Laval, 1998
From 1900 The huge Casino du Môle, erected in 1896, extends in 1908. 1908 Property owners and traders in Pornic and its region found a union, the first Tourist Information Office. Jean Duclère is its first president. 1910 Lénine comes to Pornic and rests here for a few days. 1912 Between La Noëveillard and the Grandes Vallées, the 9 hole golf course opens under the authority of Auguste Laraison, René Liévain, Maurice Fenaille and the Count of Madre. 1925 Max Ernst stays in Pornic and works on his frottage technique.
1940 On June 17th, the Lancastria, a British ship, is bombed by the Luftwaffe in the estuary of the Loire killing 4000 to 7000 people. Many soldiers and civilians are buried in the cimeteries of Sainte Marie, Pornic and Le Clion. On June 26th, the German army besieges Pornic. 1942 Many bunkers are built along the seashore (Atlantic Wall). 1944 On August 26th, looking for a resistance fighter called Maurice Pollono, the German gather the population of Pornic on the Place du Môle, and 16 hostages are threatened to get shot if he does not surrender. The drama is avoided thanks to the intervention of R. Loukianoff an old white Russian living in Pornic since 1917. In September, Pornic ...... 1945 On May 11th, the FFI free Pornic, 3 days after Germany's capitulation.
1947 Pornic's earthenware factory establishes in Cracaud valley. 1971 The marina of La Noëveillard opens. The elected representatives in Pornic, Saint Marie and Le Clion decide to think thoroughly about the possibility to gather all three cities into a sort of union. 1972 On April 23rd 1972, a referendum is organized. All inhabitants of the three cities agree with this idea of a fusion. 1973 A prefectorial decree ratifies the fusion-association of all three cities.
1990 A beautiful thalassotherapy centre is built on the former ground of the Casino des Flots. The Casino du Môle modernizes. 1992 Pornic's golf course belongs now to the city and extends from 9 to 18 holes! 2010 PORNIC now has 14.000 inhabitants living here the whole year. Its harmonious development carries on and on. The next project has already started: the improvement of the ria (river valley covered by the seawater). Source: "PORNIC - Etoile et Reine" by Dominique PIERRELEE, Ed. SILOË, Laval, 1998
