Sainte-Marie-de-Ré

Sainte-Marie-de-Ré is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.

Sainte-Marie-de-Ré
Commune
The town hall in Sainte-Marie-de-Ré
Location of Sainte-Marie-de-Ré
Sainte-Marie-de-Ré Sainte-Marie-de-Ré
Coordinates: 46°09′02″N 1°18′35″W
Country	France
Region	Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department	Charente-Maritime
Arrondissement	La Rochelle
Canton	Île de Ré
Intercommunality	Ile de Ré
Government
• Mayor (2008–2014)	Gisèle Vergnon
Area ^1	9.84 km^2 (3.80 sq mi)
Population  (2017-01-01)[1]	3,366
• Density	340/km^2 (890/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	17360 /17740
Elevation	0–17 m (0–56 ft) (avg. 8 m or 26 ft)
^1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km^2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography

Location of Sainte-Marie on l'Île de Ré

Sainte-Marie-de-Ré is a small village, on the southern coast of the Île de Ré, facing the Île d'Oléron.

The coastal part is bordered by beaches and small cliffs.

History

Sainte-Marie (as a word) was first used as a designation for a Parish Church in the late 12th century. The village centered on grape farming for over a millennium and maintains a strong rural identity. The commune was officially begun in 1790.[2]

Population

• Inhabitants of Sainte-Marie-de-Ré: Maritais.
• Inhabitants of La Noue: Nouais.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1968	1,195	—
1976	1,165	−2.5%
1982	1,317	+13.0%
1990	1,806	+37.1%
1999	2,655	+47.0%
2008	3,112	+17.2%

Economy

• Agriculture: grape vineyards, asparagus, potatoes.
• Tourism.
• Thalassotherapy: The thalassotherapy center on the waterfront of the south-eastern edge of Sainte-Marie was expanded in 2004.
• Computer information technology.

Sights

Religious sites

• The Parish church, Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption at Sainte-Marie de Ré whose existence was first recorded in the late 12th century. In 1467 the church was fortified and a moat surrounding the church was dug.[3]
• The Saint Sauveur Chapel at La Noue.

Civil sites

• A Monument to the Dead.
• A monument by sculptor Mélanie Quentin called "La Connaissance" which was installed in 2006.
• The Magayant house, a fishing museum.

International relations

The commune is twinned with:

• Pierrefort

See also

• Communes of the Charente-Maritime department

References

1. "Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
2. Le village de Sainte-Marie. Website of Mairie Sainte-Marie-de Ré. accessdate = September 13, 2008 (Fr)
3. Base Mérimée: Eglise paroissiale Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)