La Rochelle

La Rochelle, town in Poitou-Charentes, western France, capital of the Charente-Maritime Department, on an inlet of the Bay of Biscay opposite the Île de Ré. It is an important base for Atlantic fishing boats and is served by the nearby major commercial port of La Pallice. Goods manufactured in La Rochelle include processed fish, ships, and chemicals. Among the points of interest are three large towers (14th-15th century) at the harbour, a Renaissance town hall, and many fine 16th- and 17th-century houses.

Chartered in the 12th century, La Rochelle became a stronghold of Protestant Huguenots during the Reformation. As such, it was unsuccessfully besieged by Roman Catholics in 1572-1573, and it fell to the forces of Cardinal Richelieu (the chief minister of Louis XIII) after a 14-month siege in 1627-1628. In the late 17th century some of its Protestant residents fled to the New World to found the city of New Rochelle, New York. Population 77,800 (2005 estimate).