Page 8 - Lifestyles in Palm Beach Gardens - November '22

Page 8, Lifestyles in Palm Beach Gardens
La Rochelle: Town Of Two Countries

By Don Kiselewski, MCC,
D.S., Palm Beach Gardens
Travel Leaders
Aquitaine is the traditional
name for the southwestern
province in France where
La Rochelle can be found.
The area was first controlled
and used by Julius Caesar in
the first century B.C. Under
the Romans, the province
extended from the Loire River
in the north to a location south of the estuary known as Gironde.
La Rochelle was born in the early 12 century. At that time
th
the islands of Oléron and Ré, off the west coast of France, had
already established their personalities. But La Rochelle was
just a tiny dot on the map. The first references of La Rochelle The Saint-Nicholas Tower (left) and the Chain Tower (right)
mentioned its salt pans and fishing fleet. It was recorded
in 996 A.D. among the archives of St. Cyprian’s Abbey in of their marriage.
Poitiers, and noted a small population of people who lived a She kept he r
fair distance from the coast, near the church of Notre Dame possessions and two
de Cougnes. Archeological excavations at the site revealed a years later in 1154,
Roman agricultural center as well as a treasure in Roman coins she gave them to
that were found in the area known as Benon. Henry Plantagenet,
The area was controlled by the Duke of Aquitaine, whose Count of Anjou,
titles were held by the Counts of Poitiers from the 10th to the who became King
12th century. The last duke was William X who wasn’t as well Henry II of England.
known or powerful as his daughter, Eleanor. Whether it was her Talk about working
beauty or her land possessions, the fact remains that she was able both sides of the
to shape the nationality of that part of the world. In 1137, she Channel! The Old Prison of La Rochelle
inherited the duchy of Aquitaine from her father and the same Some 16 years
year became the queen consort by marrying Louis VII of France. later, she convinced and free customs.” This made the town a place of refuge,
When Eleanor accompanied her husband, the king, on his her husband Henry attracting a major influx of people from France and abroad.
second crusade to the Holy Land, it was rumored that she to relinquish some During the following three centuries, no ruler could unite
had committed adultery. The scandal, along with the fact that of the gifts she had the countries that constituted the Kingdom of France and
she had not given the king a male heir and a few other issues given him and invest England. In reality it was the port that drove the influences of
including blood kinship with the king, resulted in an annulment them in her son, the time because it controlled the transport of wine and salt to
Richard “the Lion- England. The shallow-entranced channel restricted ships even
Hearted”… this at high tide. The quayside was flanked by splendid town walls,
included Aquitaine. while the entrance to the city was through a stone gate that
Richard and his remains today. The gate was altered in the 18th century when
brother rebelled a clock was added to the top of the tower; consequently, the
against Henry and The Saint-Nicholas Tower was structure is now referred to as the Clock Gate.
because Eleanor constructed from 1372 to 1376 and The Clock Gate is but one of the four large towers built
sided with her sons, sits at the mouth of La Rochelle’s main around the harbor. Most notable are the two towers built at the
she was placed in harbor on the south bank. mouth of the harbor in the 14th century. The Saint-Nicholas
confinement where Tower is located on the south bank, while opposing it on
she remained until Henry’s death in 1189. With Richard out the north bank is the Chain Tower. These towers controlled
on the Third Crusade, Eleanor was left in charge and ruled as shipping that entered the harbor. The Chain Tower controlled
regent for five years. This time in history was depicted by the ships from slipping out of the harbor at night without paying
1968 movie Lion In Winter, staring Academy Award-winner the port taxes.
Katherine Hepburn as Eleanor. The fourth large structure is the ornate Lantern Tower; also
La Rochelle was developing faster than other towns in the known as the Garrot Tower. It’s located outside of the harbor
area. In order to expedite this growth, from 1132 to 1137, the
area between the old village and the sea was granted “liberties La Rochelle: Town Of Two Countries on page 9

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