Île de Ré
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 Satellite photo of Île de Ré |
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| Geography | |
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  Île de Ré (France)
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| Location | Atlantic Ocean |
| Coordinates | 46°12′N 1°25′W / 46.2°N 1.417°WCoordinates: 46°12′N 1°25′W / 46.2°N 1.417°W |
| Area | 85 km2 (33 sq mi) |
| Length | 30 km (19 mi) |
| Width | 5 km (3.1 mi) |
| Highest point | Peu des Aumonts (20 m (66 ft)) |
| 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 (457.1 /sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | French people |
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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[edit] Administration
Administratively, the island is part of the Charente-Maritime département, in the Poitou-Charentes région.
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.
[edit] History
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.
[edit] Capture of Ré island (1625)
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]
[edit] Siege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré (1627)
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 combats 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, and was later used as a depot for convicts on their way to the penal settlements of New Caledonia and French Guiana.
During World War II, the beaches of 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 Île de Ré.
[edit] Connection to the continent
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 drive to the island.
[edit] Life on 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 never gets too 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. Most 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 very late. Restaurants abound. At night, visitors can also watch the buskers, have a drink and enjoy the island's delicious artisanal ice cream, all set in a family-friendly atmosphere.
The island has its fair share of celebrities, including Lionel Jospin, who was Prime Minister of France from 1997 to 2002 and who is known to go there regularly for his holidays. Johnny Depp has also been spotted there.
Oysters and fresh fish are always available. There is also a tradition in which the fishermen, upon return from the sea, sell a small quantity of their catch directly on the quays, enabling themselves 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 themselves to enjoy the remainder of the day. Shopping affords a large variety of items, such as comics, books, African articles, ceramics, clothes, artifacts, food, local specialities, tools and souvenirs.
[edit] Miscellaneous
Nearby Fort Boyard, an ancient maritime fort, is currently used for a television game show series of the same name.
[edit] Sport
- Tennis
- Surfing
- Sailing
- Golfing (in les Portes-en-Ré)
- Horse riding
[edit] See also
[edit] Gallery
 Île de Ré bridge from Sablanceau/ Rivedoux-Plage. |
 The Phares des Baleines lighthouse. |
 Salt fields in Loix-en-Ré |
 A WWII German bunker on a beach in Île de Ré (Plage des Quatre Sergents). |
 Map of the island (French) |
 The bridge connecting the island to the continent. |
[edit] Sources
- Collins, Roger. "The Vaccaei, the Vaceti, and the rise of Vasconia." Studia Historica VI. Salamanca, 1988. Reprinted in Roger Collins, Law, Culture and Regionalism in Early Medieval Spain. Variorum, 1992. ISBN 0 86078 308 1.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Île de Ré |
- Language, culture & discovery of Ile de Ré and of the Charente-Maritime region (English)
- Tourist information (French), (Spanish), (Italian), (German), (English)
- History of the island (in French)
- île de Ré News (in French)
- Google image
- Île de Ré photography
- I Love Rain
- Ile de ré TV
- Ile de ré camping
- Golfing Club of Trousse-Chemise in Les Porte-en-Ré
