Deux-Sevres: Insurance Capital Niort and the Marais Poitevin
Deux-Sevres, named after the two rivers Sevre Nantaise and Sevre Niortaise, is a department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. Niort, the prefecture, is the unlikely capital of the French mutual insurance industry, with several major mutuals (MAIF, MAAF, Groupama) headquartered here. This has given the city a more prosperous economy than its size would suggest.
The Marais Poitevin, a vast wetland area shared with neighbouring Vendee, is the second-largest wetland in France. The 'Green Venice' section, navigable by flat-bottomed boats through tree-lined channels, is a popular tourist destination. The population is about 375,000. Parthenay has a medieval quarter. Thouars, Melle (with its Romanesque churches and silver mines, both UNESCO-listed), and Bressuire are the other main towns.
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Deux-Sevres, named after the two rivers Sevre Nantaise and Sevre Niortaise, is a department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. Niort, the prefecture, is the unlikely capital of the French mutual insurance industry, with several major mutuals (MAIF, MAAF, Groupama) headquartered here. This has given the city a more prosperous economy than its size would suggest.
The Marais Poitevin, a vast wetland area shared with neighbouring Vendee, is the second-largest wetland in France. The 'Green Venice' section, navigable by flat-bottomed boats through tree-lined channels, is a popular tourist destination. The population is about 375,000. Parthenay has a medieval quarter. Thouars, Melle (with its Romanesque churches and silver mines, both UNESCO-listed), and Bressuire are the other main towns.
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