Pertuis d'Antioche Strait

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The Pertuis d'Antioche ("sluice of Antioch") is a strait on the Atlantic coast of Western France, located between the two islands Île de Ré and Île d'Oléron and the continental coast, between the cities of La Rochelle and the naval arsenal of Rochefort. The Pertuis d'Antioche owes its name to the similarity of the contour of its coastline with that of the Mediterranean sea's north-eastern area between Cyprus, Syria and Turkey, which harbours the famous ancient city of Antioch at its center.


The Pertuis d'Antioche was already active during Roman times, when intense trade of salt and wine was occurring around the urban center of Saintes.

The straits then witnessed a long naval history, especially marked by the rivalry between the navies of England and France.

During the middle-ages, the area was fighting for independence from the English crown represented by Richard the Lionheart.

From the time of king Louis XIV, the city of Rochefort became one of the great naval bases of the kingdom.

During the Napoleonic wars, the coast was further fortified, with the Fort Boyard as a centerpiece. After defeat at Waterloo, Napoleon tried to flee to the United States of America from the Pertuis d'Antioche, but decided to surrender to the English navy which was blockading the area; he was later sent into exile on the island of Saint Helena.

Finally, during World War II, the Germans occupied the coast and fortified it against invasion. They also set up a large submarine base in La Rochelle; this still stands today, and was used as a set for the historical submarine movie Das Boot. Even after the Allied invasion of France, La Rochelle remained a pocket of German resistance which surrendered only at the end of the war.

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