ST. MALO, a seaport of western France, capital of an arron dissement in the department of Ille-et-Vilaine, 51 m. N.N.W. of Rennes by rail. Pop. (1931) 12,13o.
In the 6th century the island on which St. Malo stands was the retreat of Abbot Aaron, who gave asylum in his monastery to Malo (Maclovius or Malovius), a Cambrian priest, who after wards became bishop of Aleth (now St. Servan) ; the see was transferred to St. Malo only in the 12th century. In the 17th century the maritime power of St. Malo attained some importance. In November 1693 and July 1695 the English vainly bombarded it. The St. Malo shipowners financed the Rio de Janeiro expedition of Duguay-Trouin in 1711, and also lent the king large sums for carrying on the war of the Spanish Succession. In June 1758 the English inflicted great loss on the royal shipping in the harbour of St. Servan, but another expedition in the following September received a complete check. In 1778 and during the wars of the Empire the St. Malo privateers resumed their activity. In 1789 St. Servan was separated from St. Malo and in i8or St. Malo lost its bishopric.
St. Malo is situated on the English Channel on the right bank of the estuary of the Rance at its mouth. It is a garrison town surrounded by ramparts which include portions dating from the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, but as a whole were rebuilt at the end of the 17th century and restored in the 19th century. The most important of the gates are that of St. Vincent and the Grande Porte, defended by two massive 15th-century towers. The granite island on which St. Malo stands communicates with the mainland on the north-east by a causeway known as the "Sillon" (furrow), commanded by the old 14th and 15th century castle, flanked with four towers, one of which, the great keep, is an older and loftier structure. In the sea round about lie
other granite rocks, which have been turned to account in the defences of the coast. The rocks and beach are continually chang ing their appearance, owing to the violence of the tides; spring tides sometimes rise 5o ft. above low-water level, and the sea sometimes washes over the ramparts. The harbour of St. Malo lies south of the town in the creek separating it from the neigh bouring town of St. Servan. Including the contiguous and con nected basins belonging to St. Servan, it comprises an outer basin, a tidal harbour, two wet-docks and an inner reservoir, af fording a total length of quayage of over 2 m. The wet-docks have a minimum depth of 13 to 15 ft. on sill, but the tidal har bour is dry at low water. The great bulk of trade is with Eng land, the exports comprising large quantities of fruit, dairy produce, early potatoes and other vegetables and slate. The prin cipal imports consist of coal and timber. The Southern railway maintains a regular service of steamers between Southampton and St. Malo. The port carries on shipbuilding and equips a fleet for the Newfoundland cod-fisheries. The industries also include iron and copper-founding and the manufacture of portable forges and other iron goods and rope. The town is the seat of a sub-prefect and has a tribunal of commerce.
St. Malo is largely frequented for sea-bathing, but not so much as Dinard, on the opposite side of the Rance. The town presents a tortuous maze of narrow streets and small squares lined with high and sometimes quaint buildings. Above all rises the stone spire (1859) of the cathedral, a building begun in the 12th cen tury but added to and rebuilt at several subsequent periods.