Pertuis d'Antioche

The Pertuis d'Antioche ("sluice of Antioch") is a strait on the Atlantic coast of Western France, located between the two islands Île de Ré and Île d'Oléron and the continental coast, between the cities of La Rochelle and the naval arsenal of Rochefort. The Pertuis d'Antioche owes its name to the similarity of the contour of its coastline with that of the Mediterranean sea's north-eastern area between Cyprus, Syria and Turkey, which harbours the famous ancient city of Antioch at its center.

History

The Pertuis d'Antioche was already active during Roman times, when intense trade of salt and wine was occurring around the urban center of Saintes.

The straits then witnessed a long naval history, especially marked by the rivalry between the navies of England and France.

During the middle-ages, the area was fighting for independence from the English crown represented by Richard the Lionheart.

From the time of king Louis XIV, the city of Rochefort became one of the great naval bases of the kingdom.

During the Napoleonic wars, the coast was further fortified, with the Fort Boyard as a centerpiece. After defeat at Waterloo, Napoleon tried to flee to the United States of America from the Pertuis d'Antioche, but decided to surrender to the English navy which was blockading the area; he was later sent into exile on the island of Saint Helena.

Finally, during World War II, the Germans occupied the coast and fortified it against invasion. They also set up a large submarine base in La Rochelle; this still stands today, and was used as a set for the historical submarine movie "Das Boot". Even after the Allied invasion of France, La Rochelle remained a pocket of German resistance which surrendered only at the end of the war.

Geography

The Pertuis d'Antioche is bordered by a limestone coast dating back to the Cretaceous, at which time is was deep under water. The weather is oceanic. Although at the same latitude as Montreal in Canada and the Kuril islands in Russia, the area is quite warm throughout the year, due to the influence of the Gulf Stream waters, and thenumber of sunny days per year is remarkably high, on a par with the French Riviera on the Mediterranean coast of France.

Present

With its warm, protected waters, the Pertuis d'Antioche has become one of the most active tourist and pleasure-boat centres in Europe, with the La Rochelle marina complex at its centre.