LA ROCHELLE, a fortified seaport of France, capita] of the department of Charente Inferieure. on an inlet of the bay of Biscay, formed by the islands Re and Oleron, 300 m. s.w. of Paris by railway. Its little harbor, which consists of an outer tidal basin, and an inner wet dock, is surrounded by fine quays and commodious docks, close to which lie the principal streets and squares. Many of the latter are regular and well built, and present a handsome appearance from the number of houses which are adorned with porticoes and balconies. The public buildings most worthy of notice are the arse nal, the palace, the town-hall, the exchange, and the cathedral. Besides the fine prome macle of the Place du Château, there are, outside the city walls, two extensive public gardens, known as La Promenade du Mail and the Champs de Mars. Ship-building is Actively carried on, especially in connection with the Newfoundland fishing trade; and besides this branch of industry, and the manufacture of coal bricks and cotton yarns, Rochelle has numerous glass-works, sugar-refineries, and distilleries for the preparation of brandy. Pop. '76, 19,030.—Roche]le, which was known till the 12th c. under its Latin name of Bupella, or Little Rock, of which its present name is a mere translation, originated in a colony of serfs of Lower Poiton, who, fleeing from the persecution of their lord, settled on the rocky promontory between the ocean and the neighboring marshes, which had previously been occupied by fishermen only, but which rapidly increased in importance under the new settlers. On the marriage of Eleanor of Aqui
taine with Henry II. of England, Rochelle, as a part of her dowry, came into the pos session of the English kings, by whom it was retained till 1224. when it was taken by the troops of the French king, Louis VIII.; and although it was ceded to England at the treaty of Bret.igny in 1360, in the subsequent wars it was retaken by France, under whose sway it has remained since 1372. As a stronghold of the Huguenot party, it underwent various attacks and sieges during the religious wars of the Henries, in the latter half of the 16th c.; and on its final and unconditional surrender to the royal troops in the time of Louis XIII., its old fortifications were destroyed, and new lines of defenses subsequently erected by the great Vauban.