Ars-en-Ré explained

Ars-en-Ré
Commune Status:Commune
Image Coat Of Arms:Blason ville fr Ars-en-Ré (Charente-Maritime).svg
Arrondissement:La Rochelle
Canton:Île de Ré
Insee:17019
Postal Code:17590
Demonym:Casserons
Mayor:Danièle Pétiniaud-Gros[1]
Term:2020 - 2026
Intercommunality:CC Île Ré
Coordinates:46.2081°N -1.5158°W
Elevation M:6
Elevation Min M:0
Elevation Max M:15
Area Km2:10.95

Ars-en-Ré (in French pronounced as /aʁs ɑ̃ ʁe/) is a commune on the Île de Ré in the western French department of Charente-Maritime, in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Formerly called just Ars, the commune changed to its current name on 8 March 1962.[2]

Geography

Ars-en-Ré is one of 10 communes located on the Île de Ré off the coast of La Rochelle and is in the north-western part of the island some 8 km west of Saint-Martin-de-Ré. Access to the commune is by the D735 road which crosses to the island from the end of National Highway N237 at La Rochelle. The D735 passes along the north coast of the island through Saint-Martin-de-Ré and continues north-west to the commune passing through the town and continuing north-west to the Baleines Lighthouse. Apart from the town there is the village of La Grange nearby on the coast and Le Martray to the east along the coast. The town occupies the centre of the commune and there are forests on the western side with the rest of the commune farmland including extensive salt farms.[3]

Its harbour is the largest on the Île de Ré and is located at the bottom of the Fier d'Ars (a body of water penetrating the land from the north-east and bordered by marshes), which is reached by a channel through the salt farms. A lock closes the tidal basin which has 250 berths. A new basin with 130 berths is to be created in future at the channel entrance. There are 150 moorings on buoys in the outer harbour and the channel has a capacity of 550 berths, mainly dedicated to pleasure craft. A beach on the south coast of the island, bordered by a dyke to protect the land, extends to the Baleines Lighthouse at the western tip of the island.

Neighbouring communes and villages

[3]

History

The Prince of Soubise was defeated here in 1624.[4]

The port was important during the "salt era" until the beginning of the 20th century. The gabelle or salt tax was significant in the area.

Heraldry

Administration

List of Successive Mayors[5]

From To Name Party
1959 1966 Jacques Moinet
1983 1995 Emile Gaudin
1995 2020 Jean-Louis Olivier
2020 2026 Danièle Pétiniaud Gros

Demography

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Arsais or Arsaises in French,[6] but they are nicknamed the Casserons: the casseron is a baby cuttlefish, a saltwater fish commonly found on the island.

Distribution of Age Groups

The population of the town is relatively old. The ratio of persons above the age of 60 years (40.2%) is higher than the national average (21.6%) and the departmental average (28.1%). As with national and departmental allocations, the male population of the town is less than the female population (45.9% against 48.4% nationally and 48.2% at the departmental level).

Percentage Distribution of Age Groups in Ars-en-Ré and Charente-Maritime Department in 2017

Ars-en-Ré Charente-Maritime
Age Range Men Women Men Women
0 to 14 Years 13.9 9.6 16.3 14.3
15 to 29 Years 11.7 8.8 15.4 13.1
30 to 44 Years 16.4 15.6 16.7 16.1
45 to 59 Years 19.1 17.4 20.2 19.9
60 to 74 Years 23.5 24.1 21.1 22.0
75 to 89 Years 13.0 18.2 9.4 12.3
90 Years+ 2.5 6.4 1.0 2.4
Source: INSEE[7] [8]

Sites and Monuments

The village is a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (the most beautiful villages in France).[9]

Since 2011 the commune has belonged to the network "Villages of stone and water", a label initiated by the General Council to promote exceptional sites with the distinction of being located near a body of water (sea, river, pond ...).[10]

Civil Heritage

Ars-en-Ré has a number of buildings that have been registered as historical monuments by the Ministry of Culture. These are:

There are over 200 items in Ars-en-Ré that are registered as historical objects, several of which are in private collections.

Other sites of interest

Religious Heritage

Many religious buildings and monuments are registered as historical monuments at the Ministry of Culture:

Ars-en-Ré Picture Gallery

Ars-en-Ré
The Church
Birds
Fishing and Boats

Notable people linked to the commune

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Répertoire national des élus: les maires. data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022. fr.
  2. https://www.insee.fr/fr/metadonnees/cog/commune/COM17019-ars-en-re Commune d'Ars-en-Ré (17019)
  3. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ars-en-R%C3%A9/@46.2106258,-1.5047444,6375m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x48040a1af02003ff:0x8a7a68e358ecf558?hl=en Google Maps
  4. Dezobry and Bachelet, Dictionary of Biography, t.1, Ch. Delagrave, 1876, p. 149
  5. http://www.francegenweb.org/mairesgenweb/resultcommune.php?id=27237 List of Mayors of France
  6. https://www.habitants.fr/charente-maritime-17 Le nom des habitants du 17 - Charente-Maritime
  7. https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-17019 Évolution et structure de la population en 2017: Commune d'Ars-en-Ré (17019)
  8. https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=DEP-17 Évolution et structure de la population en 2017: Département de la Charente-Maritime (17)
  9. http://www.les-plus-beaux-villages-de-france.org/en/ars-en-re Ars-en-Ré on the most beautiful villages in France website
  10. http://www.sudouest.fr/2011/02/10/treize-villages-unis-pour-le-meilleur-et-pour-la-pierre-314920-1593.php 13 villages unite for better or for worse
  11. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
  12. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
  13. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
  14. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
  15. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
  16. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
  17. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
  18. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
  19. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
  20. Coastal Fortifications - Charente Maritime, R. Desquesne, R. Faille, N. Faucherre, and P. Prost, Éditions patrimoine et médias,
  21. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
  22. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
  23. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
  24. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
  25. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
  26. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
  27. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
  28. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
  29. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
  30. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée