Charente-Maritime
Charente-Maritime is a department in the French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, on the country's west coast. Named after the river Charente, its prefecture is La Rochelle. As of 2019, it had a population of 651,358 with an area of 6,864 square kilometres.History
The history of the department begins with a decree from the Constituent Assembly on 22 December 1789, which took effect on 4 March 1790, creating it as one of the 83 original departments during the French Revolution. Named "Charente-Inférieure" after the lower course of the Charente, it was renamed Charente-Maritime on 4 September 1941, during World War II, reflecting its Atlantic coast identity. The department encompasses most of the former province of Saintonge, nearly all of Aunis, and the Pays d'Aulnay from Poitou.
Evidence of human settlement dates back to the Paleolithic era, with the Celtic Santon tribe settling during the La Tène period, fostering trade and crafts. Romanization after the Gallic War led to the rise of Mediolanum Santonum, the capital of Augustan Aquitaine. Initially designated the prefecture in 1790, Saintes lost this status in 1810 when Napoleon decreed its transfer to La Rochelle. The region, under Merovingian and Carolingian rule, oscillated between kingdom and duchy status until Carolingian decline spurred instability, shaping Aunis’ distinct identity.In the 12th century, Eleanor of Aquitaine’s remarriage tied the region to the Plantagenet domain, boosting trade with England despite revolts. The Hundred Years' War brought devastation, ending with the French recapture of Montguyon in 1451. The 16th century saw the Reformation and Wars of Religion divide Aunis and Saintonge. The French Revolution raised hopes but faltered with events like the Rochefort pontoons, amid tensions between the Vendée and Girondine uprisings. The 19th century brought prosperity under the Second Empire, driven by cognac, until the phylloxera crisis struck.
During World War II, the German Army occupied the department, integrating it into occupied France. The Organisation Todt built sea defences, including pillboxes along the presqu'île d'Arvert and Oléron island, to counter Allied landings. The war’s end saw German resistance pockets at La Rochelle and Royan; Royan was nearly destroyed by an RAF raid on 5 January 1945, and liberated by the French Forces of the Interior in April, while La Rochelle was freed on 9 May 1945.Prehistory
Paleolithic
Human occupation in present-day Charente-Maritime dates to the Lower Paleolithic, evidenced by bifaces found near Gémozac and Pons along the Seugne and Soute rivers, and an Acheulean lithic industry at Les Thibauderies near Saint-Genis-de-Saintonge. The Middle Paleolithic saw Mousterian civilizations flourish, with artifacts unearthed in the Charente valley. In 1979, a Neanderthal skeleton found at Roche à Pierrot in Saint-Césaire confirmed overlap with Cro-Magnons, leading to the Paléosite center’s opening in 2005. Notable Aurignacian and Magdalenian finds include three engraved stones from Saint-Porchaire’s caves, the oldest depicting mammoths. Solutrean flint points were also discovered at Saint-Germain-du-Seudre and Bois.The Neolithic "revolution" arrived in the Charente region around the 6th millennium BC, marked by settled agriculture, animal husbandry, and crafts like ceramics. The Middle Neolithic introduced the Chassean culture and megalithic monuments, including dolmens and menhirs, such as the Pierre-Levée dolmen at La Vallée, Pierre-Folle alley at Montguyon, and the largest menhir at Chives. In the 4th–3rd millennia BC, the Matignons and Peu-Richard civilizations built fortified camps. By the early 3rd millennium BC, the Artenac civilization emerged, introducing copper metallurgy.Antiquity
From the Bronze Age, Saintonge inhabitants maintained trade with the Atlantic arc, evidenced by bronze objects in the Meschers deposit. In the early Iron Age, a tomb at Courcoury with Mediterranean imports highlights broader connections. During the La Tène period, the Santoni established the Pons oppidum as their political and trading hub, a key example of oppida civilization. This rural, hierarchical society featured self-sufficient villages and necropolises. Along the coast, they produced sea salt, while at Novioregum, an emporium facilitated trade with the Romans via the Gironde estuary.High Roman Empire and Gallo-Roman Period
The Gallic War, sparked by Julius Caesar’s intervention against the Helvetians, saw mixed Santon involvement: their fleet aided the Romans against the Venetians, yet some joined Vercingetorix at Gergovia and Alesia. Post-conquest, under Augustus, the Santons’ territory became part of the province of Aquitaine, with Mediolanum Santonum as its first capital, boasting monuments like the votive arch and amphitheater. Novioregum emerged as a major port, exporting goods like wine and santonine absinthe. Roman infrastructure, including roads to Burdigala and Limonum, and structures like the Pirelonge tower at Saint-Romain-de-Benet, enriched the region.From the late 3rd century, barbarian invasions disrupted Santonia: Novioregum was destroyed in 256, and Mediolanum Santonum and Pons were burned in 276 by the Alamanni. Saintes retreated behind ramparts, shrinking significantly. In 285, Diocletian reorganized it into Aquitaine Seconde, diminishing Saintes’ role. Christianity emerged, led by Eutrope, the first bishop, though its spread was slow until the 5th century. After the Western Roman Empire’s fall in 476, Vandals and Alans plundered the region, ending its Gallo-Roman prosperity.Early modern period
Early Middle Ages
In 418, a fœdus between Visigoth king Wallia and Roman emperor Flavius Honorius allowed Visigoths to settle in Aquitaine II, including Saintonge, forming the Visigothic kingdom with Toulouse as its capital. They occupied the region until 507, leaving toponymic traces like Goutrolles and Aumagne. Frankish king Clovis ousted them after defeating Alaric at Vouillé. In 584, Gondovald briefly ruled a Merovingian kingdom of Aquitaine, supported by Bishop Palladius of Saintes. A second kingdom under Caribert II became a duchy after his death, with Eudes resisting Saracen incursions in 732, halted by Charles Martel near Poitiers. Charlemagne established a new kingdom of Aquitaine in 781 for his son Louis. Viking raids began in 843, devastating Royan, Saujon, Saintes, and Saint-Jean-d’Angély, weakening Carolingian control and fostering feudalism. By the 10th century, Aunis split from Saintonge, with castles like Broue built for defense.Late Middle Ages
grew in the 12th century under the Dukes of Aquitaine, gaining a communal charter from Henry II in 1175 and boosting trade with the Hanseatic League. Saintonge and Aunis prospered from salt, wine, and stone exports. The Via Turonensis pilgrimage route spurred religious growth, with a hospice in Pons and a basilica for Eutropius in Saintes. In 1137, Eleanor of Aquitaine inherited the region, marrying Louis VII, then Henry Plantagenet in 1152, tying Aquitaine to England. Her Roles of Oléron maritime code emerged in 1169. Rebellions in 1174 and sieges like Saintes strained Plantagenet rule. After John’s contested reign, Philippe Auguste seized most of Saintonge and Aunis by 1204, though La Rochelle resisted until 1224 under Louis VIII. The Battle of Taillebourg saw Louis IX defeat Henry III, solidified by the Treaty of Paris.The Hundred Years' War began when Edward III claimed the French throne in 1337, sparking the "Saintonge Wars." In 1345, Henry of Lancaster raided Saintonge, capturing key towns. The Black Death paused fighting, but in 1351, John II retook Saint-Jean-d’Angély. The Treaty of Brétigny ceded Saintonge and Aunis to Edward of Woodstock, but Charles V’s forces, led by Du Guesclin, reversed this. The Battle of La Rochelle and subsequent sieges secured French control by 1374. After truces, Charles VII’s reconquest ended with the siege of Montguyon and the Battle of Castillon, leaving the region devastated.Early modern period
Renaissance
Post-war recovery in Saintonge and Aunis was rapid, with lords granting land to peasants, spurring population growth and agricultural revival. Louis XI confirmed communal charters, and towns like Marennes and Jonzac gained fair rights. La Rochelle’s trade flourished, welcoming foreign ships despite plagues and a 1518 hurricane. In 1542, François I’s attempt to impose the gabelle tax on salt sparked revolt, initially subdued by Gaspard de Saulx, but he granted amnesty after arriving in La Rochelle. The Jacquerie des Pitauds erupted in 1548, spreading regionally; rebels seized Pons, Saintes, and Royan, but Anne de Montmorency’s harsh repression crushed it, though Henri II later restored the old tax system in 1555. Cod fishing grew from ports like La Tremblade and Royan by 1546, and Jacopolis-sur-Brouage was founded in 1555 as a salt trade hub.The Reformation
The Reformation gained traction in Aunis and Saintonge after Martin Luther’s 1517 95 Theses, fueled by clerical abuses and trade with Protestant Northern Europe. John Calvin briefly preached in Saintonge in 1534 as Charles d’Espeville. Coastal areas like Marennes and Oléron became Reformed strongholds. Repression began in 1548, with public penance in La Rochelle and executions in 1552. Protestant churches emerged, including La Rochelle and Saint-Jean-d’Angély, though leaders like Philibert Hamelin faced execution. Tensions escalated with the 1562 Massacre of Vassy, igniting the Wars of Religion.Wars of Religion
La Rochelle’s growing Calvinist population led to the 1562 Edict of Toleration by Charles IX, but the Massacre of Vassy sparked uprisings led by Louis de Condé. Iconoclastic attacks hit Saint-Jean-d’Angély’s abbey in 1562. The Edict of Amboise ended the first war. In 1565, Charles IX visited Saintes and La Rochelle, noting Protestant resistance. By 1567, La Rochelle became a Protestant stronghold under mayor François Pontard, aligning with Condé. The Battle of Jarnac killed Condé, but the Edict of Saint-Germain made La Rochelle a Protestant safe haven. The St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre led to the Siege of La Rochelle, which ended in 1573. Later wars saw Henri de Navarre lead Protestants, culminating in the Edict of Nantes, designating La Rochelle and others as security strongholds.