Sucé-sur-Erdre


Sucé-sur-Erdre is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.
Its name comes from the Latin sulcus, meaning "furrow", and the Celtic erdam, meaning "small river".
Sucé-sur-Erdre, as its name indicates, is located on the Erdre River, which at this point is near its junction to the Loire River. The town was fairly small for quite some time until it began to be absorbed into the greater suburbia of Nantes. As of 2004, it has about 6,500 inhabitants, a significant portion of which commute to Nantes. In general, the area is middle-class with a good portion of upper-middle class and upper-class homes, especially on the river banks.
Sucé-sur-Erdre is relatively well known in the area for its scenic river landscapes, and its many water sports opportunities, including fishing, sailing, windsurfing in Mazerolles, kayaking, and water skiing. It has essentially no industry, the main employer is a large convalescence home. There are many shops and one small supermarket.
Sucé-sur-Erdre has had few encounters with history, its greatest claim to fame being that the famous philosopher René Descartes spent some time there. It has a few old houses, but the church is modern (late nineteenth century. There are many picturesque farm houses in the area, although they are disappearing quickly due to the accelerated modernization brought by the expansion of Nantes.
The inhabitants of Sucé-sur-Erdre are called Sucéens.

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