Port-Louis Porzh-Loeiz | |
|---|---|
 Citadel of Port-Louis | |
 Flag .svg) Coat of arms | |
 Location of Port-Louis | |
  Port-Louis  Port-Louis | |
| Coordinates:47°42′26″N3°21′07″W / 47.7072°N 3.3519°W /47.7072; -3.3519 | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Brittany |
| Department | Morbihan |
| Arrondissement | Lorient |
| Canton | Hennebont |
| Intercommunality | Lorient Agglomération |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2020–2026) | Daniel Martin[1] |
Area 1 | 1.07 km2 (0.41 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[2] | 2,689 |
| • Density | 2,510/km2 (6,510/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 56181 /56290 |
| Elevation | 0–14 m (0–46 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Port-Louis (French pronunciation:[pɔʁlwi]ⓘ;Breton:Porzh-Loeiz) is acommune in theMorbihandepartment ofBrittany in northwesternFrance.[3]
At the beginning of the 17th century, merchants who were trading withIndia established warehouses in Port-Louis. They later built additional warehouses across the bay in 1628, at the location which became known as"L'Orient" (theOrient inFrench). In 1664, during the reign of KingLouis XIV, theFrench East India Company was established at Port-Louis. The company established a shipyard atLorient. The Company was not able to maintain itself financially, and it was abolished in 1769. In 1770, KingLouis XVI issued an edict that required the Company to transfer to the state all its properties, in return for which the King agreed to pay all of the Company’s debts and obligations. The French government then took over the shipyards as a naval port and arsenal.
The Spanish engineerCristóbal de Rojas built the Fuerte de Águila at the start of theBrittany Campaign in 1590 at what was then known as Port Blavet during the War of theCatholic League. At the time, the governor of Brittany,Philippe Emmanuel, Duke of Mercœur, a Catholic, was in revolt against the new Protestant kingHenry IV, and the Spanish were invited to provide support to their coreligionists. Henry converted to Catholicism in 1593, and eventually defeated de Mercœur in 1598, gaining control of the fort. The fort was extended in 1616–1636, during the reign of KingLouis XIII. In 1836 Louis Napoleon, who would later become the emperorNapoleon III, was a prisoner in the citadel. Later prisoners included 1836Communards and members of theFrench Resistance, among others.
Today, the citadel houses four museums:
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Inhabitants of Port-Louis are called inFrenchPort-Louisiens.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 3,921 | — |
| 1975 | 3,715 | −0.77% |
| 1982 | 3,327 | −1.56% |
| 1990 | 2,986 | −1.34% |
| 1999 | 2,808 | −0.68% |
| 2007 | 2,992 | +0.80% |
| 2012 | 2,685 | −2.14% |
| 2017 | 2,618 | −0.50% |
| Source: INSEE[4] | ||
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