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Saint-Martin-de-Ré (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃ maʁtɛ̃ də ʁe], lit. "St Martin of Ré"; Saintongeais: Sént-Martin-de-Ré, before 1962: Saint-Martin)[3] is a commune in the western French department of Charente-Maritime.[4]
Saint-Martin-de-Ré | |
|---|---|
 The quays | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Saint-Martin-de-Ré  | |
  Saint-Martin-de-Ré  Saint-Martin-de-Ré | |
| Coordinates: 46°12′11″N 1°22′02″W / 46.2031°N 1.3672°W | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Nouvelle-Aquitaine |
| Department | Charente-Maritime |
| Arrondissement | La Rochelle |
| Canton | Île de Ré |
| Intercommunality | Île de Ré |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Patrice Déchelette[1] |
Area 1 | 4.70 km2 (1.81 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[2] | 2,263 |
| • Density | 480/km2 (1,200/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 17369 /17410 |
| Elevation | 0–17 m (0–56 ft) (avg. 8 m or 26 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
It is one of the ten communes located on the Île de Ré.
The fortifications in Saint-Martin-de-Ré, drawn up by Vauban between 1681 and 1685, were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2008 for their testimony to Vauban's work and its influence on military strategy and architecture over the subsequent 200 years.[5]
History
editFortifications
editSaint-Martin-de-Ré has extensive fortifications, reflecting the strategic importance of the Île de Ré. During the Huguenot Rebellions of the 1620s, Cardinal Richelieu ordered that the island be fortified as a counterweight to the nearby Protestant city of La Rochelle on the French mainland. This included a citadel at Saint-Martin. After La Rochelle had been subdued, Saint-Martin's fortifications were largely demolished to remove its potential threat to royal power.
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.
Later, in the 1670s, the French engineer, Vauban was commissioned to review and overhaul the island's defences and, as a result, Saint Martin was enclosed by extensive and modern walls and embankments. This was done in three major phases ending in 1702 and the result was an enclosed town capable of housing the island's population for a long siege.
Prison to the penal colonies
editBetween 1873 and 1938, the prison in Saint-Martin-de-Ré kept prisoners before they were shipped to the penal colonies in French Guiana or New Caledonia. See penal colonies on Ré Island (in French).
Population
editThe population of the commune has remained steady since 1800, although it was considerably larger during the French Revolution and dipped below 2000 from the 1920s to the 1940s.
The commune is the fifth-largest town on the island. With La Flotte, it forms a small urban area.[4]
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| Source: EHESS[6] and INSEE (1968-2017)[7] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gallery
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Map of Saint-Martin-de-Ré, with fortress and city, 17th century, before the enlarged fortifications of Vauban.
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Map of Saint-Martin-de-Ré, after the fortifications of Vauban, 1722.
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City gate in Saint-Martin
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Âne en culotte donkey
Personalities
edit- Nicolas Baudin, sailor and explorer
Twin Town
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.
- ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
- ^ Décret du 2 mars 1962 portant changement de nom de communes, Journal officiel de la République française n° 0055, 7 March 1962, p. 2308.
- ^ a b Commune de Saint-Martin-de-Ré (17369), INSEE
- ^ "Fortifications of Vauban". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
- ^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Saint-Martin-de-Ré, EHESS (in French).
- ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
- ^ "Esperance Twin Towns Program". esperance.wa.gov.au. Shire of Esperance. 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.