Oléron

Oléron, island (1990 pop. 18,453), 68 sq mi (176 sq km), Charente-Maritime dept., W France, in the Bay of Biscay. It is an oystering, farming, and ranching area and a summer vacation spot. The Law of Oléron (see maritime law), promulgated by Louis IX, was named after the island. Oléron was a stronghold of Protestantism in the 16th cent. A bridge (1966) links it with the mainland.

Île d'Oléron (English: Island of Oleron) is an island off the Atlantic coast of France (due west of Rochefort), on the southern side of the Pertuis d'Antioche strait. It is the second largest French island after Corsica (not counting French overseas possessions).

History

In the seventh and eighth century the island, along with Ré, formed the Vacetae Insulae or Vacetian Islands, according to the Cosmographia. Vaceti being another name for the Vascones, the reference is evidence to Basque (Gascon) settlement or control of the islands by that date.

It was at Oléron in about 1152 to 1160 that Eleanor of Aquitaine introduced the first "maritime" or "admiralty" laws in that part of the world: the Rolls of Oleron. In 1306, Edward I of England granted the island to his son, Edward II, as part of the duchy of Aquitaine.

On March 20, 1586, the Island is taken by Agrippa d'Aubigne.

Geography

The island has an area of about 175km². It is a fertile and well cultivated island on the Atlantic coast of France, that is on the bay of Biscay. The climate is generally mild (maritime temperate) with sufficient but not excessive rainfall, but with probably from 3 to 15 days of intense heat in the summer months of July and August, mostly grouped.

Administration

Administratively, the island belongs to the Charente-Maritime département, in the Poitou-Charentes région. The island is divided into 8 communes:

• La Brée-les-Bains
• Le Château-d'Oléron
• Dolus-d'Oléron
• Le Grand-Village-Plage
• Saint-Denis-d'Oléron
• Saint-Georges-d'Oléron
• Saint-Pierre-d'Oléron
• Saint-Trojan-les-Bains

The island has about 19,000 inhabitants.

Transportation

Since 1966, the island has been connected to the mainland by a road bridge. With a length of 3,027 m (9,931 ft), it is the longest bridge in France. It has been toll-free since 1991.

Tourism

As a large Atlantic island only 3 kilometres off the Aquitanian coast of France, Oléron is a popular tourist destination. There are lovely beaches, surfing and horse-riding are catered for and there are many interesting old buildings.

Sources

• Collins, Roger. "The Vaccaei, the Vaceti, and the rise of Vasconia." Studia Historica VI. Salamanca, 1988. Reprinted in Roger Collins, Law, Culture and Regionalism in Early Medieval Spain. Variorum, 1992. ISBN 0 86078 308 1.

External links

• The official tourist office website for Oleron Island

Notes