Pertuis d'Antioche

The Pertuis d'Antioche (French pronunciation: [pɛʁtɥi d‿ɑ̃tjɔʃ], Passage of Antioch) is a strait on the Atlantic coast of Western France between two islands; Île de Ré to the north, and Oléron to the south. To the east lies the continental coast between the cities of La Rochelle and the naval arsenal of Rochefort; to the west the open ocean. The channel is above a league in breadth, and at the northern point of Oleron lies a ledge of rocks called the Antioches, with which the channel shares its name. The ledge extends a quarter league wide of the coast of Oleron, obliging traffic to follow the middle of the channel. The position of the ledge, and the entrance to the channel, was in past times marked with a lighthouse. The link with Antioch, a city in Turkey, is unclear.

History

The Pertuis d'Antioche was already active during Roman times, when it saw trade in salt and wine centred on Saintes. Much later, the military rivalry between England and France resulted in the Pertuis being the site of frequent naval engagements.

In the middle-ages, the area sought its independence from the English crown under Richard the Lionheart. Louis XIV made the city of Rochefort one of the great naval bases of his kingdom. He then had fortresses constructed to protect the Rochefort roads. During the Napoleonic wars, the French further fortified the area, most notably with the construction of Fort Boyard. After his defeat at Waterloo, Napoleon tried to flee to the United States of America from the Pertuis d'Antioche, but eventually surrendered to the English navy, which was blockading the area; he was later sent into exile on the island of Saint Helena.

Lastly, during World War II, the Germans occupied the coast and fortified it against invasion. They also built 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 that 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 it was deep under water. The weather is oceanic. Although at the same latitude as Montreal, Canada and the Kuril Islands, Russia, the area is quite warm throughout the year, due to the influence of the Gulf Stream waters, and the number of sunny days per year, which is remarkably high, on a par with the French Riviera on the Mediterranean coast of France. 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.

Gallery

Panoramic view of the Pertuis d'Antioche from the Pointe du Chay promontory with, from left to right, Fouras, Fort Enet, Île d'Aix, Fort Boyard, Île d'Oléron, Île de Ré, La Rochelle, Aytré.

Further reading

• Neptune (1793). Le petit Neptune français; or, French coasting pilot, for the coast of Flanders, Channel, Bay of Biscay and Mediterranean. To which is added, the coast of Italy from the river Var to Orbitells; with the Gulf of Naples and the island of Corsica. London: W. Faden. p. 81. Pertuis d'Antioche. An early modern pilotage handbook for what was at the time an enemy coast. The description identifies the Pertuis as the strait between the sheltering islands.