Grand Bé
| Grand Bé | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Waters | English Channel | |
| Geographical location | 48 ° 39 ′ 8 ″ N , 2 ° 2 ′ 0 ″ W | |
|
||
| length | 300 m | |
| width | 200 m | |
| surface | 6 ha | |
| Residents | uninhabited | |
Grand Bé (also Grand Bey) is a tidal island ( French Île-de-marée ) in the English Channel off Saint-Malo , which is accessible from the mainland at low tide . The entire island on which the tomb of Chateaubriand , a French writer, is located is protected as a monument historique .
A little upstream is Petit Bé , which is accessible via Grand Bé at low tide. In the bay of Saint-Malo you can experience one of the largest tidal differences in Europe with up to 12 meters .
history
The residents of Saint-Malo elected a mayor in 1308 during a revolt against the bishop of Grand Bé. Around 1360, hermits built a chapel that was first dedicated to Notre-Dame-du-Laurier and later to Saint-Ouen.
In the 16th century, Grand Bé served as a fortified quarantine island for the port of Saint-Malo. Towards the end of the 17th century, the fortification was expanded by the engineer Siméon Garangeau according to plans by Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban , and the fortifications on Petit Bé were added. In 1697 the Fort du Grand Bé was armed with twelve cannons, three mortars and 204 soldiers. The fortifications were used by the German Wehrmacht to erect heavy coastal artillery and anti-aircraft cannons during World War II and were therefore largely destroyed by American artillery fire during the Battle of Saint-Malo and air raids.
The French writer and diplomat François-René de Chateaubriand was buried at Grand Bé in 1848. 20 years before his death, the writer had expressed the wish to be buried on the island in front of his hometown. His tomb is a listed building and, at his own request, does not have an inscription.
Chateaubriand's tomb
View of Grand Bé and Petit Bé
Both islands at sunset
literature
- Guillaume Lécuillier: La route des fortifications en Bretagne et Normandie , Les Éditions du Huitième Jour, Paris 2006, ISBN 978-2-914119-66-5 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Entry no. PA00090870 in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)