La Rochelle

La Rochelle, city in western France, capital of Charente-Maritime Department, on an inlet of the Bay of Biscay, opposite the Île de Ré. La Rochelle is an important base for Atlantic fishing boats and is served by the nearby major commercial port of La Pallice. Manufactures of La Rochelle include processed fish, ships, and chemicals. Tourism has also become an important industry; visitors are attracted to the nearby islands and the city's historical sites. Among the points of interest in La Rochelle are three large towers (14th-15th century) at the harbor, a Renaissance city hall, and many 16th- and 17th-century houses.

Chartered in the 12th century, La Rochelle became a stronghold of Protestant Huguenots during the Reformation in the 16th century. As such, it was unsuccessfully besieged by Roman Catholics in 1572 and 1573, and it fell to the forces of Cardinal Richelieu (the chief minister of Louis XIII) after a 14-month siege in 1627 and 1628. In the late 17th century some of its Protestant residents fled to North America to found the city of New Rochelle, New York. Population (2005 estimate) 77,800.