Ars en Ré

Geography

Ars-en-Ré is one of 10 communes located on the Île de Ré off the coast of La Rochelle and is in the north-western part of the island some 8 km west of Saint-Martin-de-Ré. Access to the commune is by the D735 road which crosses to the island from the end of National Highway N237 at La Rochelle. The D735 passes along the north coast of the island through Saint-Martin-de-Ré and continues north-west to the commune passing through the town and continuing north-west to the Baleines Lighthouse. Apart from the town there is the village of La Grange nearby on the coast and Le Martray to the east along the coast. The town occupies the centre of the commune and there are forests on the western side with the rest of the commune farmland including extensive Salt farms.

Its harbour is the largest on the Ile de Ré and is located at the bottom of the Fier d'Ars (a body of water penetrating the land from the north-east and bordered by marshes), which is reached by a channel through the Salt farms. A lock closes the tidal basin which has with 250 berths. A new basin with 130 berths is to be created in future at the channel entrance. There are 150 moorings on buoys in the outer harbuor and the channel has a capacity of 550 berths, mainly dedicated to the pleasure craft. A beach on the south coast of the island, bordered by a dyke to protect the land, extends to the Baleins Lighthouse at the western tip of the island.

History

The Prince of Soubise was defeated here in 1624.

The port was important during the "salt era" until the beginning of the 20th century.

The Gabelle or Salt tax was significant in the area.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

(Not all data is known)

Demography

In 2010 the commune had 1,330 inhabitants. The evolution of the number of inhabitants is known from the population censuses conducted in the commune since 1793. From the 21st century, a census of communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants is held every five years, unlike larger towns that have a sample survey every year.

Distribution of Age Groups

The population of the town is relatively old. The ratio of persons above the age of 60 years (40.2%) is higher than the national average (21.6%) and the departmental average (28.1%). As with national and departmental allocations, the male population of the town is less than the female population (45.9% against 48.4% nationally and 48.2% at the departmental level).

Percentage Distribution of Age Groups in Ars-en-Ré and Charente-Maritime Department in 2010

Sources:

Sites and Monuments

The village is a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (the most beautiful villages in France).

Since 2011 the commune has belonged to the network "Villages of stone and water", a label initiated by the General Council to promote exceptional sites with the distinction of being located near a body of water (sea, river, pond ...).

Civil Heritage

Ars-en-Ré has a large number of buildings that have been registered as historical monuments by the Ministry of Culture. These are:

There are a very large number of items in Ars-en-Ré that are registered as historical objects and in private collections. For a complete list of these items with links to descriptions (in French) and photos click here.

Religious Heritage

Many religious buildings and monuments are registered as historical monuments at the Ministry of Culture:

Ars-en-Ré Picture Gallery

Notable people linked to the commune