Romanesque church
Built as early as the 11th century, the church was part of a priory dedicated to Saint-Martin. The new church was consecrated in 1173 by John III "of the Beautiful Hands". Major works were undertaken from the 17th century onwards, including the opening of bays and the construction of the high altar. Used as barracks during the French Revolution, the church was spared. Decreased in size in 1910, it was once again saved from destruction thanks to the writer René Bazin. Admire the Romanesque dome on a pendant with the five-petal flower on the keystone, as well as the two Baroque altarpieces, the work of sculptor Etienne Redois, not forgetting the remains of some remarkable frescoes.
Église St-Martin
Built between 1906 and 1910, and larger than its neighbour, Saint-Martin church is designed in a neo-Romanesque style. Built of dressed stone, it proudly watches over Sallertaine and its inhabitants. Inside, some of the furnishings have been moved from the old church, such as the steles and the ambo. Of particular interest is a remarkable polychrome wooden statue of Saint-Martin.
Vaulieu garden
The splendid Jardin de Vaulieu was originally an old quarry of sandstone limestone from the Eocene, which was exploited from ancient times until the middle of the 20th century.th It was acquired by the town in 2003, and has since become the beautiful flower-filled space it is today. With more than 2,000 plants, the garden is considered one of the "remarkable sites of the geological heritage of the Vendée".
Moulin du Fruche
This remarkable tower-mill, also known as the "Arnaudeau Mill" after its 20th-century owners, was built around 1720. Requisitioned during the Second World War as a lookout point, the occupying forces ransacked the mill and rendered it unfit for any use whatsoever.
Old School
Built at the end of the 19th century, the former state girls' school (co-educational from 1958) was built on the ruins of ancient Roman baths, bearing witness to the fact that the island had been occupied since ancient times. This small school operated until 1965.
Calvary of Father de Montfort
During his mission to evangelise Poitou, Louis-Marie GRIGNION de Montfort arrived in Sallertaine in 1712. Hated by the population, he nevertheless managed to resolve more than fifty lawsuits and proposed to build a monumental calvary during his mission. But a month after his departure, the calvary was destroyed on the pretext that weapons were being hidden there! In 1852, a wooden cross with a cast-iron Christ was placed on the same spot.
Le Logis
This residence, which dates back to the 17th century, still has its original porch consisting of a double door of unequal dimensions. Remodelled in the 19th century, the house belonged to the engineer Marie-François Cormier, born here in 1769, who was responsible for supervising the construction of the town of Napoleon Vendée, now known as La Roche sur Yon. The Logis was occupied by the Kommandantur during the war and the adjacent attic was used as an armoury.
The Town Hall
The neoclassical town hall was designed by departmental architect Abel Filuzeau. Built in 1925, it is made of tufa stone and covered with Angers slate. Its elegant row of balusters underlines the finesse of its ornamentation, as does the central acroterion that was to house a clock.
La Poste
Built in 1879 in the wake of Jules Ferry's laws, this former state school for boys follows the construction codes of so-called "administrative" architecture, with a major use of local materials such as Sallertaine stone. On the first floor, the teacher had his official accommodation..
