The Citadel

The Citadel of Port-Louis was built in the 16th century by the Spanish during the wars of religion (Spain supports the French Catholics, England, Protestants). The citadel was modified in the 17th century when King Louis XIII built the ramparts and decided to give Port Louis the status of royal city.

In 1666, the shipping companies already established in Port-Louis transferred their shipyard to the other side of the harbour. This is where the city of the Orient will be created, which owes its name to the first ship, Le Soleil d'Orient. The current appearance of the citadel dates from this period and represents a very good example of defensive systems well before the Vauban system.

The Citadel offers a unique view of the bay of Lorient and currently houses two museums. The museum of the Compagnie des Indes traces the extraordinary history of the great commercial companies of the 17th and 18th centuries. It makes it possible to discover, in the atmosphere of the African and Asian counters, the goods which seduced both Europeans as well as the slave traffic, largely fed by the ships of the company. The National Museum of the Navy presents a collection of boat models, naval weapons, and two museum spaces: one «Treasures of the Ocean», dedicated to underwater excavations and the sunken remains of merchant ships, the other a space dedicated to sea rescue.