The parish of Saint-François was founded in 1679 and includes the eastern point of the island, known as Argentenay, as well as the Madame and Ruau islands, which are part of the Montmagny Archipelago. It is worthwhile climbing up the sixty-foot high observation tower in order to discover the amazing secrets of Saint-François' wide natural landscapes, a delight for nature lovers.
A sharp bend in the road marks the heart of the village and its two listed buildings. The old parish school, one of the oldest rural schools in Quebec, and grounds with its barn-house aspect which served not too long ago as a seasonal art gallery is still standing. The original stone church, built in 1734, undoubtedly one of Quebec's finest examples of historic religious architecture was unfortunately destroyed by a fire in 1988 following a car accident, taking with it the memory of its charming exterior architecture and the numerous interior historic religious furnishings and works of art. The slopes on both sides of Saint-François are devoted solely to farming and are interesting in that the composition of the soil is diversified: one side is composed of a clay-based soil and the other of a sandy mixture.
