L'Ile Penotte

During the French Revolution, this small district was known as "l'Ile Perdue". The name Penotte, the origin of which remains a mystery, appeared in the 19th century to designate a street that no longer exists.

This pretty, picturesque and amusing pedestrian area has the name of an island, even though it is nestled in the town centre, behind the Remblai, in a series of narrow, winding streets.

Amid the hollyhocks, the houses are decorated with mosaics of multicoloured shells.

All these decorations are the work of local resident and artist Danièle Arnaud-Aubin: the "Dame aux coquillages".

She draws her inspiration from mythology, fairy tales and fantasy stories, and creates them using shellfish: whelks and periwinkles, oysters, clams, scallops, mussels and exotic shellfish.