Satellite photo of Île de Ré |
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Île de Ré (France)
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Atlantic Ocean |
| Area | 85 km2 (32.8 sq mi) |
| Length | 30 km (19 mi) |
| Width | 5 km (3.1 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 20 m (70 ft) |
| Highest point | Peu des Aumonts |
| Country | |
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France
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| Region | Poitou-Charentes |
| Department | Charente-Maritime |
| Arrondissement | La Rochelle |
| Largest city | La Flotte |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 15,000 (as of 1999) |
| Density | 176.47 /km2 (457.06 /sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | French people |
| Fortifications of Vauban * | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | (i)(ii)(iv) |
| Reference | 1283 |
| Region ** | Europe and North America |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2008 (32nd Session) |
| * Name as inscribed on World Heritage List ** Region as classified by UNESCO |
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Île de Ré (formerly also Île de Rhé, Île de Rhéa or Île de Rhea - in English Isle of Rhé) is an island off the west coast of France near La Rochelle, on the northern side of the Pertuis d'Antioche strait.
This island is completely flat; it is 30 km long and 5 km wide. A 2.9 km bridge, completed in 1988, connects it to La Rochelle on the mainland.
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Administratively, the island is part of the Charente-Maritime département, in the Poitou-Charentes région. The island is also a part of the Charente-Maritime's 1st constituency.
The island is divided into 10 communes, from East to West: Rivedoux-Plage, La Flotte, Sainte-Marie-de-Ré, Saint-Martin-de-Ré, Le Bois-Plage-en-Ré, La Couarde-sur-Mer, Loix, Ars-en-Ré, Saint-Clément-des-Baleines, Les Portes-en-Ré.
During Roman times, Île de Ré was an archipelago made of three small islands. The space between these small islands was progressively filled, by a combination of human activity (salt fields gained from the sea) and siltage.
In the seventh and eighth centuries the island, along with Oléron, formed the Vacetae Insulae or Vacetian Islands, according to the Cosmographia,[1] Vaceti being another name for the Vascones, the reference is evidence to Basque (Gascon) settlement or control of the islands by that date. In 745, Hunald the Duke of Aquitaine retired to a monastery on the island.
The island became English in 1154, when Alienor d'Aquitaine became queen of England through her marriage with Henry Plantagenet. The island would be reverted to France in 1243, when Henry III of England returned it to Saint Louis through a treaty.
In 1360 however, with the Treaty of Bretigny, Île de Ré would again become English until the 1370s.
In February 1625, the Protestant Soubise led a Huguenot revolt against the French king Louis XIII, and, after publishing a manifesto, invaded and occupied the island of Ré.[2] He seized Ré with 300 soldiers and 100 sailors. From there he sailed up to Brittany where he led his successful attack on the royal fleet in Blavet, although he could not take the fort after a three weeks siege. Soubise then returned to Ré with 15 ships and soon occupied the Ile d'Oléron as well, thus giving him command of the Atlantic coast from Nantes to Bordeaux. Through these deeds, he was recognized as the head of the reform, and named himself "Admiral of the Protestant Church".[3] A few months later, in September 1625, Charles, Duke of Guise organized a landing in order to re-capture the islands, with the support of the Dutch (20 ships)[3] and English navies. The fleet of La Rochelle was defeated, as was Soubise with 3,000 when he led a counter-attack against the royal troops who had landed on the island.[3] The island was invested, forcing Soubise to flee to England.[4]
In 1627, an English invasion force under the command of George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham attacked the island in order to relieve the Siege of La Rochelle. After three months of combat in the Siege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré against the French under Marshal Toiras, the Duke was forced to withdraw in defeat.
The main port, Saint-Martin, was fortified by Vauban in 1681 as a component of the belt of forts and citadels built to protect the military harbour of Rochefort. It was later used as a depot for convicts on their way to the penal settlements of New Caledonia and French Guiana. Prisoners included Alfred Dreyfus, en route to the penal colony of Devil's Island after his conviction for treason.
The old city of Saint-Martin, within the walls of the citadel, was added in 2008 to the World Heritage Site list, along with 11 others Fortifications of Vauban across France.
During World War II, the beaches of the Île de Ré were fortified by German forces with bunkers, in order to block a possible seaward invasion. Many of the bunkers are still visible, in a more or less derelict state. Several scenes of the 1962 movie The Longest Day were filmed on the beaches of the island.
In 1987, a 3 kilometer bridge was built to connect the island to the continent. Heretofore, the island was connected through roll-on roll-off ferries (called "bacs"), which could accommodate vehicles and passengers. In peak summer time periods, the waiting time to board a ship could reach several hours. The bridge was built by Bouygues.[5] Since then, touristic activities on the island have developed considerably, with real estate prices reaching very high levels. The easier transportation system has stimulated the purchase of holiday homes by people from major cities from the French West, and up to Paris, who can visit for week-ends, mostly in spring and summer. The Paris-La Rochelle high-speed train (TGV) trip takes just 3 hours, and then taxis or buses can be taken to the island...
The area is a popular tourist destination. It has approximately the same number of hours of sunshine as the famous southern coast of France. The island is noted to have a constant light breeze, and the water temperature is generally cool. The island is surrounded with gently sloping, sandy beaches, which are a real treat for families and tourists.
The island has a resident winter population of approximately 20,000 residents and a resident summer population of about 220,000. Since the local population is distributed all over the island, it seldom gets crowded. The island is covered by bicycle tracks, with many residents rarely using cars for transportation. Camping grounds and hotels abound on the island, as well as large supermarkets and all modern amenities. Many families stay on the island for the duration of their vacations.
Night life consists of going to Saint Martin, the main port, or to La Flotte, to walk along the quays and to potter around the shops, which are open late. Restaurants abound. At night, visitors can watch the buskers, have a drink or enjoy the island's delicious artisanal ice cream, all set in a family-friendly atmosphere.
As a famous holiday resort on the Atlantic coast, the island has its fair share of celebrities, past and present. Among others, Jean Monnet, the father of European Unity, singers Charles Aznavour and Claude Nougaro, actors Bernard Giraudeau and Claude Rich, actress Carole Bouquet, writer Philippe Sollers or Princess Caroline of Monaco used to or still spend their holidays there. Lionel Jospin, who was Prime Minister of France from 1997 to 2002, retired on the island after his withdrawal from political life. Johnny Depp has also been spotted there.
Oysters and fresh fish are always available. There is also a tradition in which the fishermen, upon returning from the sea, sell a small quantity of their catch directly on the quays, enabling them to buy a drink. Markets are open on a daily basis in the main towns and are a popular place to shop, taste and chat. Even the vendors in the markets come to the island on their holidays. Generally, they work only in the mornings, enabling them to enjoy the remainder of the day. A large variety of items can be bought at the market, such as comics, books, African articles, ceramics, clothes, artifacts, food, local specialities, tools and souvenirs.
Nearby Fort Boyard, an ancient maritime fort, is currently used for a television game show series of the same name.