Île-d'Aix
Île-d'Aix | ||
---|---|---|
|
||
region | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | |
Department | Charente-Maritime | |
Arrondissement | Rochefort | |
Canton | Châtelaillon plague | |
Community association | Rochefort Ocean | |
Coordinates | 46 ° 1 ′ N , 1 ° 10 ′ W | |
height | 0-15 m | |
surface | 1.19 km 2 | |
Residents | 224 (January 1, 2017) | |
Population density | 188 inhabitants / km 2 | |
Post Code | 17123 | |
INSEE code | 17004 | |
Website | www.iledaix.fr |
Île-d'Aix is a French commune with 224 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) in the Charente-Maritime department . It is located on the Atlantic island of the same name, Île d'Aix. Also, the Fort Boyard just under three kilometers southwest of the island belongs to the municipality.
geography
The island is around three kilometers long and 600 m wide and lies off the coast between the larger islands of Île de Ré and Île d'Oléron .
Population development
year | 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2007 | 2016 |
Residents | 226 | 207 | 207 | 173 | 199 | 186 | 219 | 236 |
Sources: Cassini and INSEE |
economy
The inhabitants live from fishing for fish and crabs as well as from mussel and oyster farming . In summer tourism is an important mainstay, because the island is visited by around 120,000 day visitors every year.
history
After the defeat in the Battle of Waterloo , Napoléon Bonaparte stopped here in July 1815 before being exiled to Saint Helena . In Le Bourg he was housed in the Maison de l'Empéreur. Today it houses the island's museums. Île-d'Aix is a founding member of the Federation of European Napoleonic Cities .
traffic
The island is closed to private motorized traffic.
The island can only be reached by boat. There is a year-round boat connection from La Pointe de la Fumée à côté near Fouras . In summer there are a few more lines, including from La Rochelle and Fort Boyard . The mooring is in the south of the island at Fort de la Rade .
Tourism and sightseeing
See also: List of Monuments historiques in Île-d'Aix
Worth seeing is the Saint-Martin church, now the parish church of Le Bourg. It is the former monastery church of the Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Martin, which was under Cluny.
There are several fortresses and bunkers on the island; the most important and largest are Fort de la Rade and Fort Liédot .
The Musée Île d'Aix consists of the Musée Napoléonien and the Musée Africain .
literature
- Le Patrimoine des Communes de la Charente-Maritime. Flohic Editions, Volume 2, Paris 2002, ISBN 2-84234-129-5 , pp. 623-626.
Web links
- Website of the Île d'Aix Museum (French)