Geography

• 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 1100s. The village centered around grape farming for over a millennium and maintains a strong rural identity. The commune was officially begun in 1790.

Demographics

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

Economy

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

Architecture and Monuments of interest

Religious sites

• The Parish church, Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption at Sainte-Marie de Ré whose existance was first recorded in the late 1100s. In 1467 the church was fortified and a moat surrounding the church was dug.
• 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.

Twin town

• Pierrefort

See also

• Communes of the Charente-Maritime department

References

Based on the article in the French Wikipedia.