It was also a time of economic slump with a drop in sales of "Aunis" wines which competed with those from "Bordeaux". Protestant families, many of whom were artisans and winemakers, fled the "Aunis" region. Because of religious persecution and the policy of ostracism initiated by King Louis XIV, many villages in "Aunis", such as "Aigrefeuille", were affected by the exodus of Protestants. The village was almost abandoned and in great poverty as was the church which, during the 17th century, was dilapidated and threatened with ruin.