Île de Ré
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Native name: Île de Ré | |
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Aerial view; Saint-Martin-de-Ré harbour | |
Geography | |
Location | Atlantic Ocean |
Coordinates | 46°12′N 1°25′W / 46.200°N 1.417°W |
Area | 85 km2 (33 sq mi) |
Length | 30 km (19 mi) |
Width | 5 km (3.1 mi) |
Highest elevation | 20 m (70 ft) |
Highest point | Peu des Aumonts |
Administration | |
France | |
Region | Nouvelle-Aquitaine |
Department | Charente-Maritime |
Arrondissement | La Rochelle |
Capital city | Saint-Martin-de-Ré |
Largest settlement | La Flotte |
Demographics | |
Population | 17,723 (2012) |
Pop. density | 208.5/km2 (540/sq mi) |
Ethnic groups | French people |
Île de Ré (French pronunciation: [il də ʁe]; variously spelled Rhé or Rhéa; Poitevin: ile de Rét; English: Isle of Ré, /reɪ/ RAY) is an island off the Atlantic coast of France near La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, on the northern side of the Pertuis d'Antioche strait. Its highest point has an elevation of 20 metres (66 feet). It is 30 kilometres (19 miles) long and five kilometres (3 miles) wide. The 2.9 km (1.8 mi) Île de Ré bridge, completed in 1988, connects it to La Rochelle on the mainland.
Administration
Administratively, the island is part of the Charente-Maritime department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine (before 2015: Poitou-Charentes). The island is also a part of the Charente-Maritime's 1st constituency.
Located in the
History
During Roman times, Île de Ré was an archipelago consisting of three small islands. The space between the islands was progressively filled by a combination of human activity (
In the seventh and eighth centuries the island, along with
The island became English in 1154, when
The first fishing locks were constructed between the 13th and 15th centuries. The locks consist of fixed fish traps which become submerged at high tide and retain the fish when the tide goes out.[3]
Capture (1625)
In February 1625, the Protestant
Siege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré (1627)
In 1627, an
Later history
The main port,
The old city of Saint-Martin, within the walls of the citadel, was added in 2008 to the
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.
Connection to the mainland
In 1987, a 2.9 kilometres (1.8 mi)
After the TF1 channel was purchased by Bouygues, the talk-show Droit de réponse (Right to reply), shown on prime-time Saturday evening by Michel Polac was suppressed after criticizing this bridge.[8]
Life
The area is a popular tourist destination. It has approximately the same number of hours of sunshine as the southern coast of France. The island has a constant light breeze, and the water temperature is generally cool. The island is surrounded with sandy beaches.
The island has a year-round resident population of approximately 17,650 [9] residents and a summer resident population of about 220,000.[citation needed] The island has a network of cycle tracks, with many residents rarely using cars for transportation.
American celebrities, including Johnny Depp, Katy Perry, and British actor Orlando Bloom, have vacationed there.[10][11] Visiting French celebrities include
Oysters and fresh fish are caught year-round. A tradition sees fishermen sell a small quantity of their catch directly on the quays after a harvest, enabling them to buy a drink.[citation needed] Markets are open in the main towns.
The island is known for donkeys wearing culottes (trousers), originally a bite prevention method but now a tourist attraction.[13]
Miscellaneous
Nearby
Île de Ré is one of the few locations in the world where cross seas produce a square grid of waves.
Media
Ré à la Hune : free information newspaper and website founded in 2007. [citation needed]
See also
Gallery
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Satellite view of the island
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Capture of Île de Ré by Charles, Duke of Guise on September 16, 1625.
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Sablanceau/ Rivedoux-Plage.
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The Phares des Baleines lighthouse.
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Salt fields in Loix-en-Ré
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A WWII German bunker on a beach in Île de Ré (Plage des Quatre Sergents).
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Âne en culotte donkey at Saint-Martin-de-Ré.
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German bunkers in the northern part of the island (Conche des Baleines).
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Map of the island (in French)
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The island photographed by the Spot-5 satellite
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Le Phare des Baleines
References
- ^ Collins, 214.
- ISBN 0879078154.
- ^ "Region of Art and History", Île de Ré
- )
- ^ a b c Penny cyclopaedia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. 1842. p. 268.
- ISBN 9780631205135. Retrieved 2013-02-28.
- ^ Bouygues website: Île de Ré Bridge Archived December 5, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Le Nouvel Obs, July 2015.
- ^ Maryline, Auteur (2021-03-24). "Au 1er janvier 2021, 17 655 habitants à l'île de Ré". Chroniques ordinaires des petits moments de la vie rétaise (in French). Retrieved 2022-03-07.
- ^ "The one place to visit in France this weekend: Ile de Ré". The Local France. 2018-09-28. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
- ^ "Stopover in the Ile de Ré for actor Orlando Bloom". Archyde. 2017-07-24. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
- ^ Lanez, Emilie (2011-04-21). "Lionel Jospin, le retraité qui se marre..." Le Point (in French). Retrieved 2022-01-06.
- ^ Kugler, Waltraud; Grunenfelder, Hans-Peter; Broxham, Elli (2008). "Donkey Breeds in Europe: Inventory, Description, Need for Action, Conservation Report 2007/2008" (PDF). Monitoring Institute for Rare Breeds and Seeds in Europe.
On the island Ré, of the French Atlantic coast near La Rochelle, an old tradition is in place. The donkeys are given "trousers" to wear, a kind of long gaitor made from plain or checked material. These "trousers" are to protect the donkey from mosquito bites. The donkeys were used for the salt harvest in the salt marshes and to gather kelp from the beaches. This kelp was then used as fertiliser on the fields of the island. These days the tradition is only used as a tourist attraction and as ancient custom. Usually Poitou donkeys are used.
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.
External links
- Official Website of the Tourist Office (in French, Spanish, Italian, German, and English)
- History of the island (in French)
- valuable information on ile de re (in English)
- Ile de Ré rentals
- Google image
- Île de Ré photography Archived 2009-12-31 at the Wayback Machine
- Hôtel ile de Ré