La Rochelle

La Rochelle is on the coast in southwest France and has been a harbor and a centre for fishing and trade since the 12th century.

Our train journey from Bordeaux to La Rochelle was generally through farmland, mostly grain but some sunflower and corn crops.  The afternoon we arrived it was very hot and at 5:30pm, with the sun still high in the sky, it was 33 degrees.  Fortunately the next day was cooler as we had some walking to do.

We started off at the St Nicholas tower which was completed in about 1376. It was once a defensive tower and later a prison. The tower is made up of a central cylinder surrounded by four integrated turrets.  At one time the harbourmaster lived in the tower and the rooms include a hall, study, bedroom, privy and a chapel.  Passageways and spiral stairways seemed to be everywhere as it was designed so soldiers and residents, occupying the tower at the same time, did not need to meet.  Near the top of the tower was a small guard room and a watch room.  At the top there were good views of the city.

Immediately across the harbour entrance is the Chaine tower, built 1382 to 1390.   Here the harbour master used to collect taxes from ships using the port and he controlled a chain that could be raised to close the port, on the mayor's orders.  The entrance hall was once a reception room and from there we climbed a spiral stair to the harbour masters hall where he once had his private quarters and adjoining rooms then went up more spiral stairs to an outside wall walk for views over the sea and city.

                          Chaine tower is on the left 

The last of the towers we visited was the Lantern tower. This was built in the 12th century and was the residence of the officer in charge of keeping the arms of ships entering the port. Between 1445 and 1468 a massive spire and light was added so it became a sea mark and lighthouse.  During the 17th and 18th centuries sailors and privateers were imprisoned there and 1820 it was a military prison.   On the sandstone walls there are many graffiti inscriptions done by prisoners.

Some of the artistic graffiti

Our climbing was done for the day and we set off to explore the old town.  The old town had a different look to those previously seen.  It dates mostly from 17th & 18th centuries and the buildings are very similar, most are built of stone and have grey shutters.  Hollyhocks grow in the cracks between the footpath and the walls.

We entered the old city via the Great Clock gate.  In medieval times this was a main gateway in the walls that separated the harbour from the town, the clock was added in 1478.  It originally had two openings, one for pedestrians and one for horse-drawn carriages and was reduced to a single arch in 1672. During the reign of Louis XV the top of the gate was rebuilt into a dome to represent military and scientific elements

In the commercial area there are arcaded streets that date from the 14th & 15th centuries.  In the old days traders sold their goods from the under the shelter of the arcade's stone roof but they had to pay a tax to the city to be there.

The house of Henri II was interesting as while it looked grand it was just a facade.  It was built in 1555  and has no depth. The galleries are just corridors connecting the turreted staircase on the right to an office on the left.  I don't know if it had any purpose or was just a folly.

The Basilica was started in 1782 and was consecrated in 1784.  From the outside it is very plain, compared to the many Basilica we have seen; the cupola has a beautiful painting.

Part of a sculpture that we came across on our walk and below it the full sculpture.