Belleville-sur-Vie (, literally Belleville on Vie) is a former commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Bellevigny. Geography Belleville-sur-Vie is situated 15km north of La Roche-sur-Yon and 40km from Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie on the Atlantic coast. The commune has an area of 1516 ha. 17 ha comprises 4 parks and 32 ha of green spaces. The main water source is the river Vie, a 62km long stream empties into the Atlantic at Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie. The river has four tributaries, the Jaunay, the Petite Boulogne, the Gué Gorand and the Ligneron. In twenty years the region has doubled in population to the total of 3,838 (INSEE 01/01/2009). 58% of the population is 40 years old and younger and 36% less than 25 years old. 100 commercial enterprises employ around 1400 people in the area. Belleville-sur-Vie belongs to the group of 'communes' of Boulogne which also includes: Aizenay, Beaufou, La Génétouze, Le Poiré-sur-Vie, Les Lucs-sur-Boulogne, St. Denis la Chevasse et Saligny. It also belongs equally to the region 'Yon et Vie' which is a part of 23 communities belonging to the region 'La Roche-sur-Yon'. Environment Belleville-sur-Vie won two flowers at the cities and villages flowers competition (palmarès 2009). The first flower was awarded in 2007. The second flower was then awarded in 2009. History From 935 AD, historians record a seigneur (lord) of Bellville. The fortified château of the seigneur of Belleville was constructed towards the end of the 11th century and included a moat. This familial line ended by 1306 with the death of the last male heir, Maurice de Belleville. Maurice's sole and final heir Jeanne de Belleville outlived her Breton spouse Olivier who was executed on order of the king of France for the apparent crime of treason - his lands being summarily confiscated. Her lands were also confiscated and she was forced to flee. She subsequently became known as the Lioness of Brittany for her exploits in the Breton War of Succession. Her daughter also called Jeanne, married into the Harpedanne family of Angevin/English origins and settled in Poitou until the war ended following the Treaty of Brétigny(1360). The Harpedanne family of Belleville eventually normalised relations with King Charles VI, and these new seigneurs of Belleville adopted the title at the start of the 15th century. In the second half of