Saint-Martin-de-Ré

Saint-Martin-de-Ré
The quays
Saint-Martin-de-Ré
Location within Poitou-Charentes region  Saint-Martin-de-Ré
Administration
Country	France
Region	Poitou-Charentes
Department	Charente-Maritime
Arrondissement	La Rochelle
Canton	Saint-Martin-de-Ré
Intercommunality	Ile-de-Ré
Mayor	Patrice Déchelette (2008–2014)
Statistics
Elevation	0–17 m (0–56 ft) (avg. 8 m or 26 ft)
Land area1	4.70 km2 (1.81 sq mi)
Population2	2,585  (2008)
- Density	550 /km2 (1,400 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	17369/ 17410
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Saint-Martin-de-Ré is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.

It is one of the 10 communes located on the Île de Ré.

History

Saint-Martin-de-Ré has extensive fortifications, reflecting the strategic importance of the Île de Ré. During the Wars of Religion in the 1620s, Cardinal Richelieu ordered that the island be fortified as a counterweight to the Protestant nearby city of La Rochelle on the French mainland. This included a citadel at Saint Martin. After La Rochelle had been subdued, Saint-Martin's fortification 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 combats 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 end result was an enclosed town capable of housing the island's population for a long siege.

Population

Historical population of Saint-Martin-de-Ré

Year	1793	1800	1806	1821	1831	1836	1841	1846	1851	1856
Population	3800	2723	2230	2333	2581	2523	2213	2349	2285	2212

Year	1861	1866	1872	1876	1881	1886	1891	1896	1901	1906
Population	160	2121	2740	2699	2472	2838	2765	2459	2773	2380

Year	1911	1921	1926	1931	1936	1946	1954	1962	1968	1975
Population	2265	1965	1862	1427	1321	1406	2172	2262	2096	2135

Year	1982	1990	1999	2008
Population	2400	2512	2637	2585

Gallery

• 

  Map of Saint-Martin-de-Ré, with fortress and city, 17th century, before the enlarged fortifications of Vauban.

• 

  Map of Saint-Martin-de-Ré, after the fortifications of Vauban, 1722.

• 

Personalities

• Nicolas Baudin, sailor and explorer

See also

• Ernest Cognac Museum
• Communes of the Charente-Maritime department

References

• INSEE

External links

• Saint-Martin-de-Ré Tourism Office
• Île de Ré and Ernest Cognacq museums
• Vauban fortifications
• Fortified-places.com