For the school, see La Châtaigneraie La Châtaigneraie is a commune of the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France. It lies halfway between Nantes-Poitiers-Angers, about an hour from the beaches of Les Sables d'Olonne. Located on the sunny side of the Gatines hills, it is greatly attached to its past and values.