La Rochelle
| La Rochelle | ||
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Old harbour of La Rochelle
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 La Rochelle
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Location within Nouvelle-Aquitaine region
La Rochelle
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| Coordinates: 46°09′33″N 1°09′06″W / 46.1591°N 1.1517°WCoordinates: 46°09′33″N 1°09′06″W / 46.1591°N 1.1517°W | ||
| Country | France | |
| Region | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | |
| Department | Charente-Maritime | |
| Arrondissement | La Rochelle | |
| Intercommunality | La Rochelle | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor (2014–2020) | Jean-François Fountaine | |
| Area1 | 28.43 km2 (10.98 sq mi) | |
| Population (2012)2 | 80,014 | |
| • Density | 2,800/km2 (7,300/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 17300 / 17000 | |
| Elevation | 0–28 m (0–92 ft) (avg. 4 m or 13 ft) |
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1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. |
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1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
La Rochelle (French pronunciation: [la ʁɔ.ʃɛl]) is a city in southwestern France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.
The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a 2.9-kilometre (1.8-mile) bridge completed on 19 May 1988. Its harbour opens into a protected strait, the Pertuis d'Antioche.
The area of La Rochelle was occupied in antiquity by the Gallic tribe of the Santones, who gave their name to the nearby region of Saintonge and the city of Saintes.
The Romans subsequently occupied the area, where they developed salt production along the coast as well as wine production, which was then re-exported throughout the Empire. Roman villas have been found at Saint-Éloi and at Les Minimes, as well as salt evaporation ponds dating from the same period.
La Rochelle was founded during the 10th century and became an important harbour in the 12th century. The establishment of La Rochelle as a harbour was a consequence of the victory of Duke Guillaume X of Aquitaine over Isambert de Châtelaillon in 1130 and the subsequent destruction of his harbour of Châtelaillon. In 1137, Guillaume X to all intents and purposes made La Rochelle a free port and gave it the right to establish itself as a commune. Fifty years later Eleanor of Aquitaine upheld the communal charter promulgated by her father, and for the first time in France, a city mayor was appointed for La Rochelle, Guillaume de Montmirail. Guillaume was assisted in his responsibilities by 24 municipal magistrates, and 75 notables who had jurisdiction over the inhabitants. Under the communal charter, the city obtained many privileges, such as the right to mint its own coins, and to operate some businesses free of royal taxes, factors which would favour the development of the entrepreneurial middle-class (bourgeoisie).
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