View source for Île d'Yeu

{{more citations needed|date=May 2019}}
{{redirect|YEU|for the Canadian aerodrome|List of airports in Nunavut#Eureka Aerodrome}}
{{Infobox French commune
|name               = L'Île-d'Yeu
|commune status     = [[Communes of France|Commune]]
|image              = Île d'Yeu.png
|caption            = A satellite image of the island
|image flag         = 
|image coat of arms = Blason ville fr Île-d'Yeu (Vendée).svg
|arrondissement     = Les Sables-d'Olonne
|canton             = L'Île-d'Yeu
|mayor              = Carole Charuau<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|publisher=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=30 November 2023|language=fr}}</ref>
|term               = 2023&ndash;2026
|intercommunality   =
|coordinates        = {{coord|46.725|-2.347|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|elevation min m    = 0
|elevation max m    = 32
|elevation m        = 20
|area km2           = 23.32
|population         = 4850
|population date    = 2019
|population footnotes = <ref name=pop2019>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/fichier/6011070/ensemble.pdf Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2019], [[Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques|INSEE]]</ref>
|INSEE              = 85113
|postal code        = 85350
}}
'''Île d'Yeu''' ({{IPA|fr|il djø}}) or '''L'Île-d'Yeu''', is an [[island]] and [[Commune of France|commune]] just off the [[Vendée]] coast of western [[France]]. The island's two harbors, Port-Joinville in the north and Port de la Meule to the south, in a rocky inlet of the southern granite coast, are famous for [[tuna]] and [[Homarus gammarus|lobster]] fishing, respectively.{{cn|date=August 2025}}

Administratively, the [[Communes of France|commune]] of L'Île-d'Yeu is part of the [[Vendée]] [[Departments of France|department]] and the [[Pays de la Loire]] [[Regions of France|region]] of France.

==History==
[[File:Carte ile d yeu.png|left|thumb]]

[[File:Port de la Meule vu d'hélicoptère.JPG|thumb|upright|left|An aerial view of Port de la Meule]]

[[Neolithic]] markings in the native stone and an unusual concentration of [[megalithic]] [[dolmen]]s and [[menhir]]s attest to the island's early sanctity.

Irish monks from [[Bangor, County Down]], dedicated their monastery on the Île d'Yeu to Hilaire; [[Saint Amand]] from Poitou received early training there, but it was destroyed by [[Viking]] raiders in the ninth century. During the tenth century, monks from [[Marmoutier]] near Tours and monks of Saint-Cyprien at Poitiers built a new monastery and dedicated it to [[Saint Stephen]].

A wooden stockade was built by the lords of Belleville to protect their maritime commerce in the area from pirates but this was eventually demolished and a stone castle built by [[Jeanne de Belleville]] and improved by her husband [[Olivier IV de Clisson]]. The castle built on an islet linked to the coast by a bridge is first mentioned in 1356.[[Image:Chateau Ile d'Yeu 1.JPG|left|thumb|Île d'Yeu - Vieux château]]

Since the nineteenth century Île d'Yeu has attracted many artists. [[Jean Rigaud]] (1912–1999), official painter to the [[French Navy]], had a house there, as did [[Maurice Boitel]] (1919–2007). [[Jean Dufy]] (1888–1964) made about twenty paintings of l'Ile d'Yeu during several summer stays between 1926 and 1930.{{citation needed|date=November 2019}}

[[Philippe Pétain]], the proclaimed hero of [[Battle of Verdun|Verdun]] during [[World War I]] who later became the leader of France's wartime [[Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy|collaborationist]] [[Vichy France|Vichy]] régime, was sentenced to life imprisonment for [[treason]] on Île d'Yeu. He died in a private home in Port-Joinville in 1951, and is buried in the local cemetery (Cimetière communal de Port-Joinville).<ref name=paxton>Paxton, Robert O. (1982). ''Vichy France: Old Guard and New Order, 1940–1944'', pp. 36–37. Columbia University Press. {{ISBN|0-231-12469-4}}.</ref>

The poet [[Marc-Adolphe Guégan]], an early French exponent of [[haiku]], lived on the island until his death in 1959.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Marc Adolphe Guégan|url=https://www.babelio.com/auteur/Marc-Adolphe-Guegan/288325|access-date=2022-02-18|website=Babelio|language=fr}}</ref>

The island's seaweeds have been the subject of studies by the French marine biologist [[Françoise Ardré]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-09-02|title=ARDRE-BECHON Françoise (1931-2010)|url=https://www.appl-lachaise.net/ardre-bechon-francoise-1931-2010/|access-date=2022-02-18|website=APPL}}</ref>

The children's author [[Ludwig Bemelmans]], who summered on the island, took inspiration from a hospital stay after a bicycle crash for his first ''Madeline'' book, published in 1939.

A two year pilot program, called Harmon'Yeu, was initiated in the spring of 2020 to interconnect 23 houses in the Ker Pissot neighborhood and surrounding areas with a [[microgrid]] that was automated as a [[smart grid]] with software from [[Engie]]. Sixty-four solar panels with a peak capacity of 23.7&nbsp;kW  were installed on five houses and a battery with a storage capacity of 15 kWh was installed on one house. Six houses store excess solar energy in their hot water heaters. A dynamic system apportions the energy provided by the solar panels and stored in the battery and hot water heaters to the system of 23 houses. The smart grid software dynamically updates energy supply and demand in five minute intervals, deciding whether to pull energy from the battery or from the panels and when to store it in the hot water heaters. This pilot program was the first such project in France.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pv-magazine.fr/2020/07/03/harmonyeu-premiere-communaute-energetique-a-lile-dyeu-signee-engie/|title=Harmon'Yeu, première communauté énergétique à l'Île d'Yeu, signée Engie|author=Joel Spaes|website=Pv-magazine.fr|date=July 3, 2020|access-date=January 27, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2020/12/16/a-l-ile-d-yeu-soleil-pour-tous-ou-presque_6063523_3234.html|title=A L'Ile-d'Yeu, soleil pour tous… ou presque|author=Nabil Wakim|website=Lemonde.fr|date=December 16, 2020|access-date=January 27, 2021}}</ref>

==Population==
{{Historical populations
|source = INSEE<ref name=pophist>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-85113#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE</ref>
|percentages = pagr
|align = none
|1968 |4786
|1975 |4766
|1982 |4880
|1990 |4941
|1999 |4788
|2007 |4906
|2012 |4575
|2017 |4809
}}

== Transport==
The island is reached by ferry from [[Fromentine]] or [[Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie]]. Air transportation is available at [[Île d'Yeu Aerodrome]] {{airport codes|IDY|LFEY}}, with commercial service from [[Nantes Airport]].

==Climate==
Île d'Yeu has an [[oceanic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cfb'') with mild weather year-round and significantly more precipitation in winter than in summer. 
 
{{Clear}}
{{Meteo France
|Town=Île d'Yeu
|Sunshine= 2.054
|Rain=762.4
|Snow=1.9
|Storm=7.9
|Fog=21.5<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lameteo.org/index.php/12-climatologie/1641-normales-climatiques-1981-2010-ile-d-yeu|title=Normales climatiques 1981-2010 : Île d'Yeu|website=www.lameteo.org|access-date=4 September 2022}}</ref>
}}
<br>
{{Weather box
|width = auto
|location = Île d'Yeu (1981−2010 normals, extremes 1949−present)
|metric first = Y
|single line = Y
|Jan record high C = 15.4
|Feb record high C = 17.4
|Mar record high C = 23.1
|Apr record high C = 26.3
|May record high C = 30.6
|Jun record high C = 35.2
|Jul record high C = 34.8
|Aug record high C = 35.1
|Sep record high C = 32.9
|Oct record high C = 26.0
|Nov record high C = 20.1
|Dec record high C = 16.8
|year record high C = 35.2
|Jan high C = 9.7
|Feb high C = 9.9
|Mar high C = 12.2
|Apr high C = 14.4
|May high C = 17.6
|Jun high C = 20.5
|Jul high C = 22.6
|Aug high C = 22.9
|Sep high C = 20.9
|Oct high C = 17.2
|Nov high C = 13.2
|Dec high C = 10.4
|year high C = 16.0
|Jan mean C = 7.5
|Feb mean C = 7.4
|Mar mean C = 9.4
|Apr mean C = 11.2
|May mean C = 14.3
|Jun mean C = 17.1
|Jul mean C = 19.0
|Aug mean C = 19.3
|Sep mean C = 17.4
|Oct mean C = 14.5
|Nov mean C = 10.8
|Dec mean C = 8.2
|year mean C = 13.0
|Jan low C = 5.3
|Feb low C = 4.8
|Mar low C = 6.5
|Apr low C = 8.0
|May low C = 11.1
|Jun low C = 13.7
|Jul low C = 15.5
|Aug low C = 15.6
|Sep low C = 13.9
|Oct low C = 11.8
|Nov low C = 8.4
|Dec low C = 6.0
|year low C = 10.1
|Jan record low C = -9.8
|Feb record low C = -9.4
|Mar record low C = -7.1
|Apr record low C = 0.0
|May record low C = 2.8
|Jun record low C = 5.4
|Jul record low C = 9.1
|Aug record low C = 10.0
|Sep record low C = 5.5
|Oct record low C = 1.8
|Nov record low C = -3.5
|Dec record low C = -7.9
|year record low C = -9.8
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 83.7
|Feb precipitation mm = 62.3
|Mar precipitation mm = 57.9
|Apr precipitation mm = 57.8
|May precipitation mm = 57.7
|Jun precipitation mm = 40.0
|Jul precipitation mm = 38.0
|Aug precipitation mm = 36.9
|Sep precipitation mm = 61.9
|Oct precipitation mm = 91.9
|Nov precipitation mm = 91.6
|Dec precipitation mm = 90.1
|year precipitation mm = 769.8
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 13.2
|Feb precipitation days = 10.3
|Mar precipitation days = 10.4
|Apr precipitation days = 10.1
|May precipitation days = 9.4
|Jun precipitation days = 6.7
|Jul precipitation days = 7.3
|Aug precipitation days = 6.2
|Sep precipitation days = 8.1
|Oct precipitation days = 12.3
|Nov precipitation days = 13.5
|Dec precipitation days = 13.9
|year precipitation days = 121.3
|Jan humidity = 88
|Feb humidity = 87
|Mar humidity = 84
|Apr humidity = 83
|May humidity = 84
|Jun humidity = 82
|Jul humidity = 81
|Aug humidity = 82
|Sep humidity = 83
|Oct humidity = 86
|Nov humidity = 86
|Dec humidity = 88
|year humidity = 84.5
|Jan sun = 74.7
|Feb sun = 111.2
|Mar sun = 149.2
|Apr sun = 201.3
|May sun = 231.2
|Jun sun = 252.5
|Jul sun = 274.7
|Aug sun = 260.3
|Sep sun = 195.5
|Oct sun = 137.6
|Nov sun = 94.0
|Dec sun = 72.1
|year sun = 2053.8 <!-- source:Météo Climat -->
|source 1 = [[Meteo France]]<ref name=MFclimat1>{{cite web
| url = http://www.meteofrance.com/climat/france/l-ile-dyeu/85113001/normales
| title = Données climatiques de la station de Beaucouzé 
| publisher = Meteo France
| language = fr
| access-date = January 9, 2016}}</ref><ref name=MFclimat2>{{cite web
| url = http://www.meteofrance.com/climat/france/pays-de-la-loire/regi52/normales
| title = Climat Pays de la Loire
| publisher = Meteo France
| language = fr
| access-date = January 9, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_85113001.pdf
| title=Fiche Climatologique Statistiques 1991-2020 et records
| language = fr
| publisher = [[Météo-France]]
| access-date = September 4, 2022}}</ref>
|source 2 = Infoclimat.fr (humidity, 1961–1990)<ref name=Infoclimat>{{cite web
| url = http://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie-07300-ile-d-yeu-st-sauveur.html
| title = Normes et records 1961-1990: Ile d'Yeu - St Sauveur (85) - altitude 32m 
| language = fr
| publisher = Infoclimat
| access-date = January 9, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1546555370897817601|title=It's still cool in Central Europe,but a new heat wave is building in the West:44C in Portugal,43C in Spain and  39C in France with few monthly heat records, the most important today was 35.2C at Ile d'Yeu (previous 34.8C in July 2006) which ties its all time record set in 1952.|website=Twitter.com|access-date=16 July 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1557762791766900742|title=(1) European Heat Wave:Today it was a historic day in Atlantic France and Cornwall with more records broken. In France highest temperature was 41.5C at Navarrenx. Incredible all time record beaten again at Ile d' Yeu with 36.0C. Monthly record at Belle Ile again with 34.5C.|website=Twitter.com|access-date=11 August 2022}}</ref>
}}

== Gallery ==
<gallery mode="packed">
Ile yeu port de la meule.JPG|Le Port de la Meule (Stack Harbor)
Ile yeu pointe des corbeaux.JPG|La pointe des Corbeaux (Crows' Edge)
Ile-d-yeu-plage-des-sapins.jpg|La plage des Sapins (Fir Tree Beach)
Ile-d-yeu-vieux-chateau.jpg|Beach with the Old Castle in the back
Ile-d-yeu-port des broches.jpg|La pointe du But
Ile-d-yeu-bateaux-peche-port-joinville.jpg|Port-Joinville
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Vieux-château de l'Île d'Yeu]]
* [[Communes of the Vendée department]]
* [[Theft of Philippe Pétain's coffin]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|last=Bemelmans|first=Ludwig|title=The Isle of God (or Madelines's Origin) ''Tell Them It Was Wonderful: Selected Writings by Ludwig Bemelmans''|publisher=Marciano|date=1985}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Île d'Yeu}}
* [http://www.ile-yeu.fr/  Official site for the tourism office and commune of the Ile d'Yeu] (in French)
* [http://www.gazette-iledyeu.fr La Gazette de L'île d'Yeu]

{{Vendée communes}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Iledyeu}}
[[Category:Communes of Vendée]]
[[Category:Car-free islands of Europe]]
[[Category:Islands of Pays de la Loire|Yeu]]
[[Category:Islands of the Bay of Biscay]]
[[Category:Poitou]]