Editing La Rochelle

{{Short description|City in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Expand French|topic=geo|date=June 2020|La Rochelle}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox French commune
|name               = La Rochelle
|native name    = ''La Rochéle'' ([[Poitevin–Saintongeais]])
|commune status     = [[Prefectures of France|Prefecture]] and [[Communes of France|commune]]
|image coat of arms = Arms of La Rochelle.svg
|image              = {{multiple image
|perrow = 1/2/2/1
|border = infobox
|total_width = 250
|image1 = La rochelle, Le vieux port.JPG
|caption1 = Old harbour of La Rochelle
|image3 = La Rochelle (17) Église du Sacré-Coeur - panoramio.jpg
|caption3 = Church of the Sacred Heart
|image2 = Banque de France (La Rochelle).jpg
|caption2 = Bank of France building
|image4 = Tour St Nicolas, La Rochelle, France, pic-010.JPG
|caption4 = [[Saint Nicolas Tower]]
|image5 = Bâtiment Gare de La Rochelle-Ville en soirée (juin 2023).JPG
|caption5 = [[La Rochelle station|La Rochelle-Ville station]]
|image6 = La Rochelle mail lanterne.jpg
|caption6 = Allées du Mail with the [[Lantern Tower (La Rochelle)|Lantern Tower]] in the distance
}}
|arrondissement     = La Rochelle
|canton             = 
|INSEE              = 17300
|postal code        = 17000
|mayor              = [[Jean-François Fountaine]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|publisher=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=13 September 2022|language=fr}}</ref>
|term               = 2020&ndash;2026
|intercommunality   = [[Communauté d'agglomération de La Rochelle|CA La Rochelle]]
|coordinates        = {{coord|46.16|-1.15|display=inline,title}}
|elevation m        = 4
|elevation min m    = 0
|elevation max m    = 28
|area km2           = 28.43
|population         = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
|population date    = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
|population footnotes   = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
}}

'''La Rochelle''' ({{IPAc-en|UK|ˌ|l|æ|_|r|ɒ|ˈ|ʃ|ɛ|l}}, {{IPAc-en|US|ˌ|l|ɑː|_|r|oʊ|ˈ|ʃ|ɛ|l}}, {{IPA|fr|la ʁɔʃɛl|lang|LL-Q150 (fra)-Jules78120-La Rochelle.wav}}; [[Poitevin-Saintongeais]]: ''La Rochéle'') is a city on the west coast of France and a [[seaport]] on the [[Bay of Biscay]], a part of the [[Atlantic Ocean]]. It is the capital of the [[Charente-Maritime]] [[Departments of France|department]]. With 78,535 inhabitants in 2021, La Rochelle is the most populated commune in the department and ranks fourth in the [[Nouvelle-Aquitaine]] region after [[Bordeaux]], the regional capital, [[Limoges]] and [[Poitiers]].

Situated on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean the city is connected to the [[Île de Ré]] by a {{convert|2.9|km|mi|frac=4|abbr=off|adj=mid|-long}} bridge completed on 19 May 1988. Since the [[Middle Ages]] the harbour has opened onto a protected strait, the [[Pertuis d'Antioche]] and is regarded as a "Door océane" or gateway to the ocean because of the presence of its three ports (fishing, trade and yachting). The city has a strong commercial tradition, having an active port from very early on in its history.

The city traces its origins to the [[Gallo-Roman culture|Gallo-Roman period]], attested by the remains of important [[salt marsh]]es and villas.&nbsp;[[Duke of Aquitaine|The Dukes of Aquitaine]] granted it a charter as a free port in 1130. With the opening of the English market following the second marriage of [[Eleanor of Aquitaine]] in 1152, the presence of the [[Knights Templar]] and the [[Knights Hospitaller|Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem]] quickly made this small town the largest port on the Atlantic.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Favreau|first=Robert|date=1986|title=La Rochelle, port français sur l'Atlantique au XIIIe siècle|url=https://www.persee.fr/doc/shmes_1261-9078_1988_act_17_1_1451|journal=Actes des congrès de la Société des historiens médiévistes de l'enseignement supérieur public|volume=17|issue=1|pages=49–76|doi=10.3406/shmes.1986.1451}}</ref>

To this day, the city still possesses a rich historical fabric, including the [[Saint Nicolas Tower|Saint-Nicholas tower]], and an urban heritage. The capital of [[Aunis]], it has become the most important coastal city between the [[Loire]] and [[Gironde estuary|Gironde]] estuaries. La Rochelle's urban activities are many in number and strongly differentiated, being a city with port and industrial functions that are still important, but also including a predominantly administrative and [[Tertiary sector of the economy|tertiary sector]] that is reinforced by the [[University of La Rochelle|university]] and a rapidly developing tourism industry. In the early 21st century, the city has consistently been ranked among France's most liveable cities.<ref>{{Cite web|title=La Rochelle classée troisième ville de France la plus agréable à vivre|url=https://actu.fr/nouvelle-aquitaine/la-rochelle_17300/la-rochelle-classee-troisieme-ville-france-plus-agreable-vivre_30873709.html|access-date=2020-11-13|website=actu.fr|date=20 January 2020 |language=fr}}</ref> Until 2015, the town was part of the administrative region called [[Poitou-Charentes]], that was before the delimitation of regions in France.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/JORFSCTA000030109623| website=legifrance.gouv.fr | trans-title= LOI n° 2015-29 du 16 janvier 2015 relative à la délimitation des régions, aux élections régionales et départementales et modifiant le calendrier électoral (1)| title=LOI No. 2015-29 of 16 January 2015 on the delimitation of the regions, regional and departmental elections and amending the electoral calendar| date= 18 January 2015| access-date =14 August 2024}}</ref>

==History==
{{see also|Timeline of La Rochelle}}

===Antiquity===
[[File:Carte du pays de Santones sous les Romains Pertuis d Antioche.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Coastline around La Rochelle in [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] times]]

The Romans subsequently occupied the area, where they developed salt production along the coast. Roman villas have been found at Saint-Éloi and at [[Les Minimes]]. [[Salt evaporation pond]]s dating from the same period have also been found.

===Foundation===
The name was first recorded in 961 as ''Rupella'', from a Latin diminutive meaning 'little rock'. It was later known as ''Rocella'' and ''Roscella'' before the name took on its current form. The establishment of La Rochelle as a harbour was a consequence of the victory of Duke [[William X of Aquitaine|Guillaume X]] of [[Duchy of Aquitaine|Aquitaine]] over [[Isambert de Châtelaillon]] in 1130, and the subsequent destruction of his harbour of [[Châtelaillon]].<ref>''Reformation in La Rochelle: tradition and change in early modern Europe'' by Judith Chandler Pugh Meyer p.19 [https://books.google.com/books?id=O99zLZxyo4wC&pg=PA19 Google Books]</ref> In 1137, Guillaume X to all intents and purposes made La Rochelle a free port and gave it the right to identify as a [[Medieval commune|commune]].

Fifty years later [[Eleanor of Aquitaine]] upheld the communal charter promulgated by her father. For the first time in France, a city mayor was appointed for La Rochelle, [[Guillaume de Montmirail]]. Guillaume was assisted in his responsibilities by 24 municipal magistrates, and 75 nobles who had jurisdiction over the inhabitants.

===Plantagenet rule (1154–1224)===
{{multiple image| align = right | direction = horizontal | header = | header_align = left/right/center | footer = ''Left image'': [[Vauclair castle]] was built by the English in 1185.<br /> ''Right image'': Remnants of Vauclair castle, Place de Verdun, La Rochelle.| footer_align = left | image1 =Château Vauclair (La Rochelle).png| width1 = 220 | caption1  = | image2 =Vauclair fortifications.jpg| width2 = 112 | caption2 = }}
Eleanor married Henry Plantagenet in 1152, who became king of England as [[Henry II of England|Henry II]] in 1154, thus putting La Rochelle under Plantagenet rule, until [[Louis VIII of France|Louis VIII]] captured it in the 1224 [[Siege of La Rochelle (1224)|siege of La Rochelle]]. During the Plantagenet control of the city in 1185, Henry II had the [[Vauclair castle]] built, remains of which are still visible in the Place de Verdun.<ref>''Bradshaw's illustrated travellers' hand book in [afterw.] to France'' by George Bradshaw [https://books.google.com/books?id=YGADAAAAQAAJ&pg=RA1-PA193 Google Books]</ref>
{{multiple image| align = right | direction = horizontal | header = | header_align = left/right/center | footer = '''Left image''': ''Cour de la Commanderie'' in La Rochelle, ancient location of the Templars' headquarters.<br /> '''Right image''': Original Templar cross, ''Cour de la Commanderie''.| footer_align = left | image1 =Court_de_la_Commanderie.jpg| width1 = 200 | caption1  = | image2 =Templar cross Cour de la Commanderie La Rochelle.jpg| width2 = 118 | caption2 = }}
The main activities of the city were in the areas of maritime commerce and trade, especially with England, the Netherlands and Spain. In 1196, wealthy bourgeois [[Alexandre Auffredi]] sent a fleet of seven ships to Africa seeking wealth. He went bankrupt awaiting the return of his ships; they returned seven years later bearing riches.

===Knights Templar===
The [[Knights Templar]] had a strong presence in La Rochelle since before the time of [[Eleanor of Aquitaine]], who exempted them from duties and gave them [[mill (grinding)|mill]]s in her 1139 Charter.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uHwUWoRKqSkC&pg=PA26 |title=''The new knighthood'' |author=Malcolm Barber |date=28 September 1995 |page=26 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9780521558723 |access-date=15 April 2010}}</ref> La Rochelle was the Templars' largest base on the Atlantic Ocean,<ref name="books.google.com">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1BeOrJ0JPooC&pg=PA15|title=The History of the Knights Templars|first=Charles Greenstreet|last=Addison|date=15 April 1997|publisher=Adventures Unlimited Press|isbn=9780932813404}}</ref> and where they stationed their main fleet.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=obueOSNhbcEC&pg=PA155 |title=''The Knights Templar in Britain'' |author= Evelyn Lord |year=2004 |page=120,155 |publisher=Pearson Longman |isbn=9781405801638 |access-date=15 April 2010}}</ref> From La Rochelle, they were able to act as intermediaries in trade between England and the Mediterranean.<ref name="books.google.com"/> A popular thread of [[conspiracy theory]] originating with ''[[The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail|Holy Blood, Holy Grail]]'' has it that the Templars used a fleet of 18 ships which had brought [[Jacques de Molay]] from Cyprus to La Rochelle to escape arrest in France. The fleet allegedly left laden with knights and treasures just before the issue of the warrant for the arrest of the Order in October 1307.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GpLSrOvPhJUC&pg=PA26 |title=''The Templars and the Grail'' |author= Karen Rall |date=May 2003 |page=26 |publisher=Quest Books |isbn=9780835608077 |access-date=15 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xf_uvy6h1OoC&pg=PA17 |title=''Templars in America'' |author= Tim Wallace-Murphy |date=November 2004 |page=17 |publisher=Weiser Books |isbn=9781578633173 |access-date=15 April 2010}}</ref>

===Hundred Years' War===
[[royal demesne|Royal property]] since 1271, the 1293 sacking of La Rochelle by the [[Bayonnais]] during an outbreak of reciprocal [[piracy in the Middle Ages|piracy]] between English and French (particularly [[Duchy of Normandy|Norman]]) sailors was one of the main charges of [[Philip IV of France|King Philip{{nbsp}}IV]] against [[Edward I of England|King Edward{{nbsp}}I]] when he declared the [[Duchy of Aquitaine]] forfeit to the French crown,{{sfnp|Heebøll-Holm|2013|pp=84–89}} prompting the 1294–1303 [[Gascon War]] whose [[1299 Treaty of Montreuil|peace terms]] produced [[Isabella of France|the marriage]] that led to [[Edward III of England|Edward{{nbsp}}III]]'s later claims to the French crown.

Following the [[Treaty of Brétigny]] during the [[Hundred Years' War]], La Rochelle again came under the rule of the English monarch in 1360. La Rochelle however expelled the English in June 1372, following the naval [[Battle of La Rochelle]], between Castilian-French and English fleets. The French and Spanish decisively defeated the English, securing French control of the [[English Channel|Channel]] for the first time since the [[Battle of Sluys]] in 1340. The naval battle of La Rochelle was one of the first cases of the use of [[handgun]]s on warships, which were deployed by the French and Spanish against the English.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mAsrwMrfaoQC&pg=PA64 |title=''From crossbow to H-bomb'' |author= Bernard Brodie |year=1973 |page=64 |publisher=Indiana University Press |isbn=0253201616 |access-date=15 April 2010}}</ref> Having recovered freedom, La Rochelle refused entry to [[Du Guesclin]], until [[Charles V of France|Charles V]] recognized the privileges of the city in November 1372.

In 1402, the French adventurer [[Jean de Béthencourt]] left La Rochelle and sailed along the coast of Morocco to conquer the [[Canary Islands]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RNSwXN3-LZMC&pg=PA25|title=Canary Islands|first1=Sarah|last1=Andrews|first2=Josephine|last2=Quintero|date=15 April 2018|publisher=Lonely Planet|isbn=9781741045956}}</ref>

Until the 15th century, La Rochelle was to be the largest French harbour on the Atlantic coast, dealing mainly in wine, salt and cheese.

===French Wars of Religion===
{{Main|French Wars of Religion}}
{{multiple image| align = right | direction = horizontal | header = | header_align = left/right/center | footer = '''Left image''': Remains of [[Reformation iconoclasm]], Clocher Saint-Barthélémy, La Rochelle.<br /> '''Right image''': Remains of iconoclasm, Eglise Saint-Sauveur, La Rochelle.| footer_align = left | image1 =Iconoclasm Clocher Saint Barthelemy south side La Rochelle.jpg| width1 = 200 | caption1  = | image2 =Iconoclasm Eglise Saint Sauveur.jpg| width2 = 117 | caption2 = }}
During the [[Renaissance]], La Rochelle adopted Protestant ideas. [[Calvinism]] started to be propagated in the region of La Rochelle, resulting in its suppression through the establishment of ''Cours présidiaux'' tribunals by [[Henry II of France|Henry II]]. An early result of this was the burning at the stake of two "heretics" in La Rochelle in 1552.<ref name="Robbins">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aFwHB9p0yJoC&pg=PA120|title=City on the Ocean Sea: La Rochelle, 1530–1650 : Urban Society, Religion, and Politics on the French Atlantic Frontier|first=Kevin C.|last=Robbins|date=15 April 1997|publisher=BRILL|isbn=9004108807}}</ref> Conversions to Calvinism however continued, due to a change of religious beliefs, but also to a desire for political independence on the part of the local elite, and a popular opposition to royal expenses and requisitions in the building projects to fortify the coast against England.<ref name="Robbins"/>

On the initiative of [[Gaspard II de Coligny|Gaspard de Coligny]], the Calvinists attempted to colonise the [[New World]] to find a new home for their religion, with the likes of [[Pierre Richier]] and [[Jean de Léry]]. After the short-lived attempt of [[France Antarctique]], they failed to establish a colony in Brazil, and finally resolved to make a stand in La Rochelle itself.<ref>''Fortress of the soul: violence, metaphysics, and material life'' by Neil Kamil p.133 [https://books.google.com/books?id=ekSkZXXjVWUC&pg=RA1-PA133 Google Books]</ref> [[Pierre Richier]] became "Ministre de l'église de la Rochelle" ("Minister of the Church of La Rochelle") when he returned from Brazil in 1558, and was able to considerably increase the Huguenot presence in La Rochelle, from a small base of about 50 souls who had been secretly educated in the [[Lutheran]] faith by [[Charles de Clermont]] the previous year. He has been described, by [[Lancelot Voisin de La Popelinière]], as "le père de l'église de La Rochelle" ("The Father of the Church of La Rochelle").

[[File:Grand temple de La Rochelle.jpg|thumb|Protestant "Grand Temple" of La Rochelle, built on the ''Place du Château'', modern ''Place de Verdun'', in 1600–1603, accidentally burned down in 1687]]

La Rochelle was the first French city, with [[Rouen]], to experience [[Reformation iconoclasm|iconoclastic riots]] in 1560, at the time of the suppression of the [[Amboise conspiracy]], before the riots spread to many other cities.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=95sDFZbl4S4C&pg=PA279|title=War Against the Idols: The Reformation of Worship from Erasmus to Calvin|first=Carlos M. N.|last=Eire|date=27 January 1989|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521379847}}</ref> Further cases of [[Reformation iconoclasm]] were recorded in La Rochelle from 30 May 1562, following the [[Massacre of Vassy]]. Protestants pillaged churches, destroyed images and statues, and also assassinated 13 Catholic priests in the [[Lantern Tower (La Rochelle, France)|Tower of the Lantern]].<ref>''Fortress of the soul: violence, metaphysics, and material life'' by Neil Kamil p.148 [https://books.google.com/books?id=ekSkZXXjVWUC&pg=RA1-PA148 Google Books]</ref>

From 1568, La Rochelle became a centre for the [[Huguenots]], and the city declared itself an independent Reformed Republic on the model of [[Geneva]].<ref>''Fortress of the soul: violence, metaphysics, and material life'' by Neil Kamil p.149 [https://books.google.com/books?id=ekSkZXXjVWUC&pg=RA1-PA149 Google Books]</ref> During the subsequent period, La Rochelle became an entity that has been described as a "[[state within a state]]".<ref>{{cite book|author=MacKenney, Richard|title=The City State, 1500–1700|publisher=[[Prometheus Books|Humanities Press International]]|date=1989|page=13}}</ref> This led to numerous conflicts with the Catholic central government. The city supported the Protestant movement of [[William the Silent|William of Orange]] in the Netherlands, and from La Rochelle the Dutch under [[Louis of Nassau]] and the ''[[Sea Beggars]]'' were able to raid Spanish shipping.<ref>''The rise and fall of Renaissance France, 1483–1610'' by Robert Jean Knecht p.355 [https://books.google.com/books?id=nuyx5E_wp7QC&pg=PA355 Google Books]</ref><ref>''The Counter-Reformation and price revolution, 1559–1610'' Richard Bruce Wernham p.288 [https://books.google.com/books?id=Z-48AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA288 Google Books]</ref>

In 1571 the city of La Rochelle suffered a naval blockade by the French Navy under the command of [[Filippo di Piero Strozzi]] and [[Antoine Escalin des Aimars]], a former protagonist of the [[Franco-Ottoman alliance]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q_Va0lM_EOsC&pg=PA20 |title=''Memoirs of Maximilian de Béthune, duke of Sully'' |year=1778 |page=20 |access-date=15 April 2010}}</ref> The city was finally besieged during the [[siege of La Rochelle (1572–1573)]] during the [[French Wars of Religion]], following the [[St. Bartholomew's Day massacre]] in August 1572, and occurred at the same time as other sieges of Protestant cities such as the [[siege of Sancerre]]. The conflict ended with the 1573 [[Peace of La Rochelle]], which restricted the Protestant worship to the three cities of [[Montauban]], [[Nîmes]] and La Rochelle. Pierre Richier died in La Rochelle in 1580.

===Huguenot rebellions===
{{Main|Huguenot rebellions}}
[[File:Entrance to La Rochelle harbour Claude Lorrain 1631.JPG|thumb|left|La Rochelle in 1628 – detail of [[Claude Lorrain]] ''[[:File:Siege of La Rochelle by Claude Lorrain Le Louvre.jpg|Le siège de La Rochelle]]'']]

Under Henry IV, and under the regency of his son [[Louis XIII of France|Louis XIII]], the city enjoyed a certain freedom and prosperity. However, La Rochelle entered into conflict with the authority of the adult Louis, beginning with a [[Huguenot rebellion of 1622|1622 revolt]].<ref name="ZnE0tjj9MbgC p.22">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZnE0tjj9MbgC&pg=PA22 |title=''Champlain'' |author= Denis Vaugeois |year=2004 |page=22 |publisher=McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP |isbn=9780773528505 |access-date=15 April 2010}}</ref> A fleet from La Rochelle fought a royal fleet of 35 ships under [[Charles, Duke of Guise]], in front of [[Saint-Martin-de-Ré]], but was defeated on 27 October 1622, leading to the signing of the [[Peace of Montpellier]].<ref name="ZnE0tjj9MbgC p.22"/>

====Revolt of Soubise (1625)====
{{Main|Capture of Ré island}}
In 1625, a new Huguenot revolt led by Duke [[Henri de Rohan]] and his brother [[Benjamin de Rohan, duc de Soubise|Soubise]] led to the [[Capture of Ré island]] by the forces of Louis XIII. Soubise conquered large parts of the Atlantic coast, but the supporting fleet of La Rochelle was finally defeated by [[Henri II de Montmorency|Montmorency]], as was Soubise with 3,000 when he led a counter-attack against the royal troops who had landed on the island of Ré.<ref>''Penny cyclopaedia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge'' Page 268 [https://books.google.com/books?id=E9sGAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA268 Google Books]</ref>

====Siege of La Rochelle (1627–1628)====
{{Main|Siege of La Rochelle}}
[[File:Siege of La Rochelle 1881 Henri Motte.png|thumb|[[Cardinal Richelieu]] at the siege of La Rochelle, [[Henri Motte]], 1881]]

Following these events, [[Louis XIII]] and his Chief Minister [[Cardinal Richelieu]] declared the suppression of the Huguenot revolt the first priority of the kingdom. The English came to the support of La Rochelle, starting [[Anglo-French War (1627-1629)|the Anglo-French War]], by sending a major expedition under the [[George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham|Duke of Buckingham]]. The expedition however ended in a fiasco for England with the [[Siege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré (1627)|siege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré]]. Meanwhile, cannon shots were exchanged on 10 September 1627 between La Rochelle and Royal troops. This resulted in the siege of La Rochelle in which [[Cardinal Richelieu]] blockaded the city for 14 months, until the city surrendered and lost its mayor and its privileges.

[[File:Expulsion from La Rochelle of 300 Protestant famillies Nov 1661 Jan Luiken 1649 1712.jpg|thumb|left|Expulsion from La Rochelle of 300 Protestant families in November 1661, [[Jan Luiken]] (1649–1712)]]

The remaining Protestants of La Rochelle suffered new persecutions, when 300 families were again expelled in November 1661, the year [[Louis XIV of France|Louis XIV]] came to power. The reason for the expulsions was that Catholics deeply resented a degree of revival of Protestant ownership of property within the city.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ekSkZXXjVWUC&pg=RA1-PA584|title=Fortress of the Soul: Violence, Metaphysics, and Material Life in the Huguenots' New World, 1517–1751|first=Neil|last=Kamil|date=5 January 2005|publisher=JHU Press|isbn=9780801873904}}</ref>

The growing persecution of the Huguenots culminated with the [[Edict of Fontainebleau (1685)|Revocation of the Edict of Nantes]] by Louis XIV in 1685. Many Huguenots emigrated, founding such cities as [[New Rochelle]] in the vicinity of today's New York in 1689. La Rochelle, and the siege of 1627 form much of the backdrop to the later chapters of [[Alexandre Dumas, père]]'s classic novel, ''[[The Three Musketeers]]''.

===La Rochelle and the New World===
{{Further|France-Americas relations}}
[[File:La Rochelle slave ship Le Saphir 1741.jpg|thumb|La Rochelle [[slave ship]] ''Le Saphir'' [[ex-voto]]'', 1741]]
[[File:LaRochelleHarbour1762.jpg|thumb|La Rochelle harbour in 1762 – [[Joseph Vernet]]; [[Musée de la Marine]]]]

Because of its western location, which saved days of sailing time, La Rochelle enjoyed successful fishing in the western Atlantic and trading with the [[New World]], which served to counterbalance the disadvantage of not being at the mouth of a river (useful for shipping goods to and from the interior). Its [[Huguenot|Protestant]] ship-owning and merchant class prospered in the 16th century until the Wars of Religion devastated the city.<ref>Kurlansky, Mark. ''Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World''. Walker and Co., New York, 1997 pp. 51–52. {{ISBN|0-8027-1326-2}}.</ref> The British navy in wartime were alert that shore watchers at La Rochelle were employed.<ref>"Charles II - volume 161: July 1–7, 1666." ''Calendar of State Papers Domestic: Charles II, 1665-6.'' Ed. Mary Anne Everett Green. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1864. 485-510. [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/domestic/chas2/1665-6/pp485-510 British History Online] Retrieved 26 June 2021.</ref>

The period following the wars was a prosperous one, marked by intense exchanges with the New World ([[New France|Nouvelle France]] in Canada, and the [[Antilles]]). La Rochelle ''armateurs'' (shipowners) became very active<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.persee.fr/doc/outre_0300-9513_1976_num_63_231_1919 |last=Pritchard |first=James S |title=The Pattern of French Colonial Shipping to Canada before 1760 |pages=190 |journal=[[Persée (web portal)|Persée]]|year=1976 |volume=63 |issue=231 |doi=10.3406/outre.1976.1919 |access-date=23 September 2019}}</ref> in [[triangular trade]] with the New World, dealing in the [[History of slavery|slave trade]] with Africa, [[sugar trade]] with [[plantations]] of the [[West Indies]], and [[fur trade]] with Canada. This was a period of high artistic, cultural and architectural achievements for the city.{{Citation needed|date = June 2019}}  La Rochelle was also the port city from which the Carignan-Salieres Regiment departed for Nouvelle France.  In 1664, based upon attacks by the Iroquois against the Quebec inhabitants and following the request of the New France Sovereign Council,  the French finance minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert ordered the 24 companies composing the Carignan-Salières Regiment to duty in New France.  Beginning with departures from the port of La Rochelle, France on 19 Apr 1665, five troop ships and one supply ship left the French coast.  A sixth troop ship, Le Breze, began the journey from the Antilles island in the West Indies.   All of the seven ships arrived at Quebec City during the three-month period between 19 Jun 1665 and 14 Sep 1665.  They carried approximately 1,200 men of the regiment.  Additionally, it was from this port city that many of the estimated 768 women known as the [[Filles du Roi]] (Daughters of the King), set sail for Quebec during the period of 1663 to 1673.{{citation needed|date = April 2023}}

[[René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle|Robert de La Salle]] departed from La Rochelle, France, on 24 July 1684, with the aim of setting up a colony at the mouth of the [[Mississippi]], eventually establishing [[Fort Saint Louis (Texas)|Fort Saint Louis]] in Texas.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pXPbUIeAHSUC&pg=PA20 |title=''From a watery grave'' |author=James E. Bruseth |year=2005 |publisher=Texas A&M University Press |isbn=9781585444311 |access-date=15 April 2010}}</ref>

The city eventually lost its trade and prominence during the decades spanning the [[Seven Years' War]], the [[French Revolution]] and the [[Napoleonic Wars]]. During that period France lost many of the territorial possessions which it had had in the New World, and also saw a significant decrease in its [[sea power]] in the continuing conflicts with Britain, ultimately diminishing the role of such harbours as La Rochelle. After abolitionist movements led by such people as [[Samuel de Missy]], the slave trade of La Rochelle ended with the onset of the French Revolution and the war with England in the 1790s, the last La Rochelle slave ship, the ''Saint-Jacques'' being captured in 1793 in the [[Gulf of Guinea]].<ref name="Marshall">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fXZaLhmVt2IC&pg=PA60|title=The French Atlantic: Travels in Culture and History|first=Bill|last=Marshall|date=15 April 2018|publisher=Liverpool University Press|isbn=9781846310515}}</ref> In February 1794, the National Convention passed the [[Law of 4 February 1794]], which effectively freed all colonial slaves.{{Citation needed|date = June 2019}}

In 1809, the [[Battle of the Basque Roads]] took place near La Rochelle, in which a British fleet defeated the French Atlantic Fleet.{{Citation needed|date = June 2019}}

===La Rochelle faience===
{{Further|French porcelain|Orientalism in early modern France}}
La Rochelle became one of the French centres for [[faience]] at the end of the 18th century.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BtokftBrXG8C&pg=PA23|title=Tin Enamelled Pottery|first=Edwin Atlee|last=Barber|date=1 September 2009|publisher=Read Books|isbn=9781444647938}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R8BMW6Au7pQC&pg=PA19|title=The Grove Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts: Aalto to Kyoto pottery|first=Gordon|last=Campbell|date=15 April 2018|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780195189483}}</ref> [[Bernard Palissy]] was born in the region and had some bearing in this development. During the 18th century, its style was greatly influenced by Chinese themes and Japanese [[Kakiemon]]-type designs.<ref>"Heavily potted plates with crude red and green Chinese figures were made in large numbers " in ''Collecting European delft and faience'' Diana Imber, Praeger, 1968, p.60</ref><ref>"The industry only really started to flourish in La Rochelle towards the middle of the 18th century (...) new everyday vessels were decorated "au petit feu" with flowers and Chinese figures then in fashion." ''Cahiers de la céramique du verre et des arts du feu, Issues 41–45'' Musée national de céramique (France). Société des amis du Musée national de céramique, 1968</ref> Many of these ceramics can be viewed at the [[Musée d'Orbigny-Bernon]]. 
<gallery>
File:La Rochelle Faience de grand feu with Chinese manganese motif 18th century.jpg|La Rochelle faience, 18th century.
File:La Rochelle Faience de grand feu plate with Chinese decorations 18th century.jpg|La Rochelle faience with Chinese decorations.
File:La Rochelle Faience de grand feu pot with Chinese decorations 18th century.jpg|La Rochelle faience pot, 18th century.
</gallery>

===19th century===
In 1864, the harbour of La Rochelle (area of the "Bassin à flot" behind the water locks), was the site for the maiden dive experiments of the first mechanically-powered [[submarine]] in the World, ''[[French submarine Plongeur|Plongeur]]'', commanded by [[Marie-Joseph-Camille Doré]], a native of La Rochelle.

===Second World War===
{{Further|Allied siege of La Rochelle}}
[[File:Baselapallice08.jpg|thumb|[[U-boat pens]] at the harbor of La Rochelle (2007)]]
During the Second World War, Germany established a [[submarine]] naval base at La Pallice (the main port of La Rochelle).

A German stronghold, La Rochelle was the last French city to be liberated at the end of the war. The [[Allied siege of La Rochelle]] took place between 12 September 1944 and 7 May 1945. The stronghold, including the islands of [[Île de Ré|Ré]] and [[Oléron]], was held by 20,000 German troops under German vice-admiral [[Ernst Schirlitz]]. Following negotiations by the [[French Navy]] frigate captain Meyer, the general German capitulation occurred on 7 May and French troops entered La Rochelle on 8 May.

The submarine base became the setting for parts of the movie {{lang|de|[[Das Boot]]}}. The U-boat scenes in ''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]'' were also shot in La Rochelle. The base is featured in the computer game ''[[Commandos 2: Men of Courage]]''. It was also chosen in 2018 for the location shooting of the German television series ''[[Das Boot (TV series)|Das Boot]]'' (a sequel to the [[Das Boot|1981 classic]]).{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}

==La Rochelle today==
{{wide image|Panoramique des tours de La Rochelle de nuit.jpg|800px|Panoramic picture of the harbour towers at night.}}
La Rochelle possesses a commercial deep water harbour, named [[La Pallice (harbour)|La Pallice]]. The large [[submarine]] pens built during World War II still stand there, although they are not in use. La Pallice is equipped with oil unloading equipment, and mainly handles [[tropical timber|tropical wood]]. It is also the location of the fishing fleet, which was moved from the old harbour in the centre of the city during the 1980s.
[[File:La Rochelle 1762-2019.jpg|thumb|La Rochelle harbour by Vernet in 1762 and the same view 2019]]

La Rochelle has a very big [[aquarium]], and a small [[botanical garden]] (the ''[[Jardin des plantes de La Rochelle]]'').{{cn|date=May 2024}}

The ''[[Calypso (ship)|Calypso]]'', the ship used by [[Jacques-Yves Cousteau]] as a mobile laboratory for oceanography, and which was sunk after a collision in the port of [[Singapore]] (1996) is now on display (rotting) at the Maritime Museum of La Rochelle.{{cn|date=May 2024}}

The [[Socialist Party (France)|French Socialist Party]] has held its annual summer convention (''Université d'été'') in La Rochelle since 1983.{{cn|date=May 2024}}

===Culture===
<!---redirects target this section--->
The Festival de la Fiction is a [[film festival]] that films screens new films in official competitions (French, European, and [[Francophone|other Francophone countries]]), out of competition, and also in special screenings. The first ten years of the festival, from around 1998, took place in [[Saint-Tropez]], before moving to La Rochelle in around 2013 or 2014.<ref>{{cite web | title=About | website=Festival de la Fiction | url=https://www.festival-fictiontv.com/en/about/ | language=en-GB | access-date=22 May 2024}}</ref>

One of the biggest music festivals in France, [[Les Francofolies de La Rochelle]], takes place each summer in La Rochelle, where Francophone musicians come together for a week of concerts and celebration. 2004 marked the 20th anniversary of this event.{{cn|date=May 2024}}

===Tourism===
[[File:Entrance La Rochelle old harbor.jpg|thumb|Harbour towers]]
La Rochelle's main feature is the "Vieux Port" ("Old Harbour"), which is at the heart of the city, picturesque and lined with seafood restaurants. The city walls are open to an evening promenade. The old town has been well preserved. Three medieval towers are a prominent tourist attraction at the entrance to the harbor: [[The Chain Tower]], [[Lantern Tower (La Rochelle, France)|The Lantern Tower]] and [[Saint Nicolas Tower]]. From the harbour, boating trips can be taken to the [[Île d'Aix]] and [[Fort Boyard (fortification)|Fort Boyard]] (home to the TV show of the same name). Nearby [[Île de Ré]] is a short drive to the North. The countryside of the surrounding Charente-Maritime is very rural and full of history ([[Saintes, Charente-Maritime|Saintes]]). To the North is [[Venise Verte]], a marshy area of country, crisscrossed with tiny canals and a resort for inland boating. Inland is the country of [[Cognac, France|Cognac]] and [[Pineau]]. The nearby [[Île de Ré]] is accessible via a bridge from La Rochelle.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.holidays-iledere.co.uk/ile-de-re-uk/how-reach-us|title=How to reach us? {{!}} Destination Ile de Ré|website=www.holidays-iledere.co.uk|language=en|access-date=18 January 2018|archive-date=21 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121210413/http://www.holidays-iledere.co.uk/ile-de-re-uk/how-reach-us|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:F07.LaRochelle.0013.JPG|thumb|"Grosse Horloge" tower]]
[[File:Fort Boyard.jpg|thumb|Fort Boyard]]

===Transport===
La Rochelle and its region are served by the international [[La Rochelle - Île de Ré Airport]], which has progressively developed over the last 5 years. The train station [[Gare de La Rochelle]] offers connections to Bordeaux, Nantes, Poitiers, Paris and several regional destinations.

[[OFP La Rochelle]] is a freight railway serving the port.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wk-transport-logistique.fr/actualites/detail/31840/le-port-de-la-rochelle-lance-ses-trains-avec-ecr.html|access-date=31 October 2010|title=Actualité Transport > Le port de La Rochelle lance ses trains avec ECR}}</ref>

La Rochelle launched one of the first successful [[bicycle sharing system]]s in 1974. {{citation needed|date=May 2014}}

===Education===
The original university in La Rochelle was [[University Institutes of Technology]], established in 1968. Then, [[University of La Rochelle]] was incorporated to the technology institute in 1993. And, the second university in the city is the [[Excelia Group]] (La Rochelle Business School), which was established in 1988. The city has more than 10,000 students each year,<ref name=excelia>{{Cite web| url=https://www.excelia-group.com/about-excelia/group/our-campuses/la-rochelle| website= excelia-group.com| title= La Rochelle|access-date=15 August 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.univ-larochelle.fr/en/university/discover-the-university/history-of-la-rochelle-universite/| website= universitylarochelle.fr| title= History of La Rochelle University|access-date=15 August 2024}}</ref> with 7,000 and 3,500 students respectively.

===Les Minimes===
{{see also|Les Minimes}}
Located in La Rochelle is Les Minimes, a marina considered the city's new port for around 5,000 boat vessels.<ref>{{Cite web| url=https://www.portlarochelle.com/bassins-et-services/port-des-minimes-la-rochelle-3/| website=portlarochelle| title=Marina - Port of La Rochelle| access-date=15 August 2024}}</ref> The newly built area also houses university campuses for 10,000 students, which has shops, restaurants, a cinema, and other amenities. There are many residences in a student village, which are accommodation for locals, students or tourists.<ref>{{ cite web| url=https://www.adele.org/en/residence/346/les-estudines-les-minimes-346/la-rochelle| website=adele.org| title= Les Estudines Les Minimes | access-date =14 August 2024}}</ref><ref name=excelia/> The port is the biggest in Europe, and has a long boat-building past, which today includes companies such as [[Amel Yachts]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sudouest.fr/2018/01/10/portes-ouvertes-chez-amel-pour-recruter-4097597-1485.php|title=La Rochelle : le chantier nautique Amel ouvre ses portes et recrute|website=sudouest.fr|date=10 January 2018 |access-date=15 April 2018}}</ref>

==Geography==

===Geology===
[[File:La Rochelle SPOT 1250.jpg|thumb|left|upright|La Rochelle seen from Spot Satellite]]
[[File:La Rochelle 0004.jpg|thumb|The limestone cliffs around La Rochelle reveal the [[Jurassic]] geology of the area]]
The bedrock of La Rochelle and surrounding areas is composed of layers of [[limestone]] dating back to the Sequanian stage (upper [[Oxfordian stage]]) of the [[Jurassic]] period (circa 160&nbsp;million years ago), when a large part of France was submerged. Many of these layers are visible in the white cliffs that border the sea, which contain many small marine [[fossil]]s. Layers of thick white rock, formed during period of relatively warm seas, alternate with highly fragile layers containing sand and remains of mud, formed during colder periods, and with layers containing various corals, that were formed during warmer, tropical times.<ref>La Rochelle touristic board at the "Pointe du Chay"</ref> The limestone thus formed is traditionally used as the main building material throughout the region.

The area of [[La Pointe du Chay]] about {{convert|5|km|mi|0|abbr=off|spell=on}} from La Rochelle is a cliff area visited for leisurely geological surveys.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}

===Climate===
Under [[Köppen climate classification|Köppen's climate classification]], La Rochelle features an [[oceanic climate]]. Although at the same latitude as [[Montreal]] in Canada or the [[Kuril Islands]] in Russia, the area experiences mild weather throughout the year due to the influence of the [[Gulf Stream]] waters, the summers are relatively warm, and [[insolation]] is remarkably high—the highest in Western France, including sea resorts much further to the south such as [[Biarritz]]. La Rochelle seldom experiences very cold or very warm weather. These specific conditions – summer: dry and sunny, winter: mild and wet – have led to the establishment of a Mediterranean-type vegetation cohabiting with more continental and oceanic types of vegetation.
{{Weather box
|location = La Rochelle, France (1991–2020 averages, extremes 1955–present)
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan record high C = 16.3
|Feb record high C = 21.2
|Mar record high C = 25.0
|Apr record high C = 29.1
|May record high C = 33.6
|Jun record high C = 40.5
|Jul record high C = 41.7
|Aug record high C = 39.4
|Sep record high C = 34.6
|Oct record high C = 30.1
|Nov record high C = 22.2
|Dec record high C = 18.7
|year record high C = 41.7
|Jan high C = 9.6
|Feb high C = 10.6
|Mar high C = 13.6
|Apr high C = 16.1
|May high C = 19.6
|Jun high C = 22.8
|Jul high C = 24.6
|Aug high C = 24.9
|Sep high C = 22.5
|Oct high C = 18.3
|Nov high C = 13.4
|Dec high C = 10.3
|year high C = 17.2
|Jan mean C = 7.0
|Feb mean C = 7.3
|Mar mean C = 9.8
|Apr mean C = 12.0
|May mean C = 15.5
|Jun mean C = 18.6
|Jul mean C = 20.5
|Aug mean C = 20.6
|Sep mean C = 18.0
|Oct mean C = 14.7
|Nov mean C = 10.4
|Dec mean C = 7.5
|year mean C = 13.5
|Jan low C = 4.4
|Feb low C = 4.1
|Mar low C = 6.1
|Apr low C = 7.9
|May low C = 11.3
|Jun low C = 14.4
|Jul low C = 16.4
|Aug low C = 16.3
|Sep low C = 13.6
|Oct low C = 11.2
|Nov low C = 7.4
|Dec low C = 4.8
|year low C = 9.8
|Jan record low C = -11.5
|Feb record low C = -13.6
|Mar record low C = -9.2
|Apr record low C = -2.2
|May record low C = 1.9
|Jun record low C = 4.9
|Jul record low C = 8.1
|Aug record low C = 8.8
|Sep record low C = 4.7
|Oct record low C = -0.4
|Nov record low C = -5.4
|Dec record low C = -9.5
|year record low C = -13.6
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 76.3
|Feb precipitation mm = 56.1
|Mar precipitation mm = 57.4
|Apr precipitation mm = 60.7
|May precipitation mm = 50.9
|Jun precipitation mm = 39.3
|Jul precipitation mm = 40.0
|Aug precipitation mm = 46.2
|Sep precipitation mm = 59.7
|Oct precipitation mm = 83.7
|Nov precipitation mm = 94.6
|Dec precipitation mm = 89.5
|year precipitation mm = 754.4
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 12.2
|Feb precipitation days = 10.0
|Mar precipitation days = 9.6
|Apr precipitation days = 9.7
|May precipitation days = 8.5
|Jun precipitation days = 7.2
|Jul precipitation days = 6.3
|Aug precipitation days = 6.5
|Sep precipitation days = 7.2
|Oct precipitation days = 11.4
|Nov precipitation days = 12.5
|Dec precipitation days = 13.0
|year precipitation days = 114.1
|Jan snow days = 1.0
|Feb snow days = 0.9
|Mar snow days = 0.5
|Apr snow days = 0.2
|May snow days = 0.0
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.0
|Nov snow days = 0.2
|Dec snow days = 0.9
|year snow days = 3.7
|Jan humidity = 87
|Feb humidity = 84
|Mar humidity = 80
|Apr humidity = 78
|May humidity = 79
|Jun humidity = 77
|Jul humidity = 76
|Aug humidity = 77
|Sep humidity = 79
|Oct humidity = 83
|Nov humidity = 86
|Dec humidity = 88
|year humidity = 81.2
|Jan sun = 91.0
|Feb sun = 130.9
|Mar sun = 178.8
|Apr sun = 230.6
|May sun = 257.8
|Jun sun = 252.8
|Jul sun = 296.8
|Aug sun = 277.6
|Sep sun = 233.5
|Oct sun = 154.7
|Nov sun = 108.5
|Dec sun = 90.3
|year sun = 2303.1
|source 1 = [[Meteo France]] (sun, 2009-2020)<ref name=MFclimat1>{{cite web
| url = http://www.meteofrance.com/climat/france/station/17300009/normales
| title = Données climatiques de la station de La Rochelle
| publisher = Meteo France
| language = fr
| access-date = 16 December 2014
| archive-date = 12 January 2019
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190112150134/http://www.meteofrance.com/climat/france/station/17300009/normales
| url-status = dead
}}</ref><ref name=MFclimat2>{{cite web
| url = http://www.meteofrance.com/climat/france/poitou-charentes/regi54/normales
| title = Climat Poitou-Charentes
| publisher = Meteo France
| language = fr
| access-date = 16 December 2014
| archive-date = 1 December 2018
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181201133550/http://www.meteofrance.com/climat/france/poitou-charentes/regi54/normales
| url-status = dead
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180310155558/https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_17300001.pdf
| archive-date = 10 March 2018
| url = https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_17300001.pdf
| title = La Rochelle (17)
| work = Fiche Climatologique: Statistiques 1981–2010 et records
| publisher = Meteo France
| language = fr
| access-date = 10 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_17300009.pdf
| title = La Rochelle (17)
| work = Fiche Climatologique: Statistiques 1991–2020 et records
| publisher = Meteo France
| language = fr
| access-date = 10 March 2018}}</ref>
|source 2 = Infoclimat.fr (humidity and snowy days 1961–1990)<ref name=Infoclimat>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160303193353/http://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie-07316-la-rochelle-aerodrome.html
| archive-date = 3 March 2016
| url = http://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie-07316-la-rochelle-aerodrome.html
| title = Normes et records 1961–1990: La Rochelle Aérodrome (17) – altitude 22m 
| language = fr
| publisher = Infoclimat
| access-date = 17 December 2014}}</ref>
|date=November 2011
}}

==Population==
Its inhabitants are called "les Rochelaises" and "les Rochelais" in French.<ref>[https://www.habitants.fr/charente-maritime-17 Le nom des habitants du 17 - Charente-Maritime], habitants.fr</ref> The population data in the table and graph below refer to the commune of La Rochelle proper, in its geography at the given years. The commune of La Rochelle absorbed part of the former commune of Saint-Maurice in 1858 and Laleu in 1880.<ref name=ehess/>

{{Historical populations
| align = none
| cols = 2
| percentages = pagr
| source = EHESS<ref name=ehess>{{Cassini-Ehess|29365|La Rochelle}}</ref> and INSEE (1968-2017)<ref name=pophist>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-17300#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE</ref>
| graph-pos = bottom
|1793 |22000
|1800 |17512
|1806 |18346
|1821 |12327
|1831 |14629
|1836 |14857
|1841 |16720
|1846 |17358
|1851 |16505
|1856 |16175
|1861 |18904
|1866 |18720
|1872 |19506
|1876 |19583
|1881 |22464
|1886 |23829
|1891 |26808
|1896 |28376
|1901 |31559
|1906 |33858
|1911 |36371
|1921 |39770
|1926 |41521
|1931 |45043
|1936 |47737
|1946 |48923
|1954 |58799
|1962 |66590
|1968 |73347
|1975 |79757
|1982 |75840
|1990 |71094
|1999 |76584
|2007 |76848
|2012 |74123
|2017 |75735
}}

==Landmarks==
[[File:Hôtel de Ville de La Rochelle (02).jpg|thumb|The [[Hôtel de Ville, La Rochelle|Hôtel de Ville]]]]
[[File:Tour Lanterne août 2015 La Rochelle Charente Maritime.jpg|thumb|[[Lantern Tower (La Rochelle)|The Tour de la Lanterne]]]]
*The [[Hôtel de Ville, La Rochelle|Hôtel de Ville]] on Place de l'Hôtel de Ville dates from 1298.<ref>{{Base Mérimée|PA00104890}}</ref>
*The [[Lantern Tower (La Rochelle)|Lantern Tower]] dates from the 15th century.<ref>{{Base Mérimée|PA00105149}}</ref>
*[[La Rochelle Cathedral|Saint-Louis Cathedral]] on Place de Verdun, dates from 1742.<ref>{{Base Mérimée|IA17000127}}</ref>
*The [[Muséum d'Histoire naturelle de La Rochelle]], which displays artifacts from naturalists and ethnographers.<ref>{{Base Mérimée|PA17000061}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
La Rochelle is the setting for the best-selling series of French language [[textbook]]s in the UK, titled ''[[Tricolore (textbook)|Tricolore]]''. The central character, Martine Dhome,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8095068.stm|title=A textbook love affair?|publisher=BBC News Magazine|date=16 June 2009|access-date=21 April 2013}}</ref> lives with her family at the fictional address of 12, rue de la République.

Ambrette Town in [[Pokémon X and Y]]'s Kalos region is inspired by La Rochelle.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pokémon world in relation to the real world |website=BulbaPedia |url=https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_world_in_relation_to_the_real_world#Kalos |access-date=18 August 2024 }}</ref>

==Notable people==
===Born in La Rochelle===
* [[Antoine Albeau]], windsurfer
* [[François-Maurice Allotte de La Fuÿe]], [[numismatist]]
* [[Matthieu Androdias]], world champion rower
* [[Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve]], author of [[Beauty and the Beast]]
* [[Jacques Nicolas Billaud-Varenne]], politician and revolutionary
* [[Aimé Bonpland]], [[botanist]]
* [[William-Adolphe Bouguereau]], painter
* [[Jean-Loup Chrétien]], astronaut
* [[John Theophilus Desaguliers]], physicist and mathematician
* [[Guy-Victor Duperre]], admiral
* [[Jean Duvignaud]], writer
* [[Eugène Fromentin]], writer and painter
* [[Nicolas Gargot de La Rochette]], governor of [[Placentia, Newfoundland and Labrador|Placentia]]
* [[Bernard Giraudeau]], actor and director
* [[Jean Guiton]], mayor during the [[siege of La Rochelle]]
* [[Grégory Havret]], professional golfer
* [[Heugel (music publisher)#Founding years|Jacques-Léopold Heugel]], music publisher
* [[Sébastien Hurtaud]], classical cellist
* [[Guy Laroche]], fashion designer
* [[Samuel de Missy]], abolitionist
* [[Fabrice Neaud]], artist and cartoonist
* [[Pierre-Jean-Baptiste Nougaret]] (1742–1823), author and playwright
* [[Fabien Olicard]] (born 1982), humorist
* [[Victor Prevost]], photographer
* [[Paul Ramadier]], politician and member of the [[French Resistance]]
* [[René-Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur]], scientist
* [[Vincent Paronnaud|Winshluss]], artist and cartoonist
* [[Jean-Louis Raduit de Souches]], German Imperial Field Marshal
* [[Clément Saunier]], French classical trumpeter
* [[Étienne Truteau]], ancestor of [[Canadian Prime Minister]]s [[Pierre Trudeau]] and [[Justin Trudeau]]

===Lived in La Rochelle===
* [[Colette Besson]], sprinter
* [[Victor Henri]], physical chemist and physiologist
* [[Saint Louis de Montfort]], Roman Catholic priest
* [[Alcide d'Orbigny]], botanist
* [[Jean-Paul Sartre]], philosopher and novelist
* [[Georges Simenon]], author and novelist
* [[Marie Louise Trichet]], nurse beatified by [[Pope John Paul II]]

==Sport==
[[Stade Rochelais]] are a professional [[rugby union]] team in the [[Top 14]] league. They play their home matches at [[Stade Marcel-Deflandre]].

Since 1991 the city has annually hosted the [[Marathon de La Rochelle]], the second-most popular marathon of France and an international-level race which featured 10,000 participants in 2010.<ref>Vazel, Pierre-Jean (28 November 2011). [http://www.iaaf.org/LRR11/news/newsid=63030.html Komen breaks La Rochelle record with 2:07:13]. IAAF. Retrieved on 30 November 2011.</ref>

[[ES La Rochelle]] is the local [[association football|football]] club.

In 2022, [[Stade Rochelais Basket]] promoted to the [[LNB Pro B]]. The team plays its home games at the	Salle Gaston-Neveur.

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in France}}

La Rochelle is [[town twinning|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Jumelage et partenariat|url=https://www.larochelle.fr/action-municipale/ville-solidaire/jumelage-et-partenariat|website=larochelle.fr|publisher=La Rochelle|language=fr|access-date=20 November 2019}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[New Rochelle, New York|New Rochelle]], [[New York (state)|New York]], United States, since 1910
*{{flagicon|ISR}} [[Acre, Israel]], since 1972
*{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Petrozavodsk]], Karelia, Russia, since 1973
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Lübeck]], [[Schleswig-Holstein]], Germany, since 1988
*{{flagicon|MAR}} [[Essaouira]], Morocco, since 1999
*{{flagicon|POR}} [[Santiago de Figueiró]], Portugal, since 2003

==See also==
{{Portal|France}}
*[[Communes of the Charente-Maritime department]]
{{Clear}}

==References==
===Citations===
{{reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===
{{See also|Timeline of La Rochelle#Bibliography|l1=Bibliography of the history of La Rochelle}}
{{refbegin}}
* {{citation |last=Boardman |first=John |title=The Diffusion of Classical Art in Antiquity |location=[[Princeton, New Jersey|Princeton]] |publisher= |date=1993 |isbn=0-691-03680-2 }}.
* {{citation |last=Heebøll-Holm |first=Thomas Kristian |author-link=Thomas Heebøll-Holm |title=Ports, Piracy, and Maritime War: Piracy in the English Channel and the Atlantic, c. 1280{{ndash}}c. 1330 |series=''Medieval Law and Its Practice'', Vol. 15 |location=Leiden |publisher=Brill |date=2013 |volume=15 |jstor=10.1163/j.ctv4cbhhw.9 |contribution=Guerra Maritima |pages=83–126 }}.
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage|La Rochelle}}
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.ville-larochelle.fr/ La Rochelle City council website]
* {{cite EB1911 |wstitle=La Rochelle |volume=16 |pages=222–223 |short=1 |ref=none}}

{{Prefectures of departments of France}}
{{Charente-Maritime communes}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rochelle, La}}
[[Category:La Rochelle| ]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in France]]
[[Category:Communes of Charente-Maritime]]
[[Category:Port cities and towns on the French Atlantic coast]]
[[Category:Prefectures in France]]
[[Category:German Navy submarine bases]]
[[Category:Santones]]
[[Category:Fortified settlements]]
[[Category:Aunis]]
[[Category:Populated places established in the 10th century]]
[[Category:Cities in Nouvelle-Aquitaine|La Ro]]