La Rochelle, << lah roh SHEHL >> (pop. 75,736; met. area pop. 215,503), is a city on the west coast of France that is famous for its historical religious importance. It lies along the Bay of Biscay, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean.
La Rochelle is France’s chief Atlantic fishing port. Its other industries include automobile assembly, distilling, ship construction, and the manufacture of railroad and aircraft equipment. The city is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department (administrative district). It is the site of a theater festival each spring. Landmarks include a scenic harbor and a town hall built in the 1500’s.
A fishing port since ancient times, La Rochelle was chartered as a city in the 1100’s. In the 1500’s, French Protestants—called Huguenots—were discriminated against by the country’s Roman Catholic majority. But in 1598, the Edict of Nantes established 100 French communities, including La Rochelle, as areas of Protestant security. French Protestants were guaranteed self-rule and religious freedom in the communities. In 1627, the French government demanded the return of the communities to its control. The city withstood a siege by the French Army for 14 months, but its people were finally starved into obedience.
