Saint-Malo Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Vincent-de-Saragosse de Saint-Malo)
SAINT MALO ILES-et-VILAINE
Saint-Malo is a walled port city in Brittany in northwestern France on the English Channel.
It is a sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine.
Traditionally with an independent streak, Saint-Malo was in the past notorious for piracy.
Today it is a major tourist destination, with many ancient, attractive buildings.
Today it is a major tourist destination, with many ancient, attractive buildings.
St. Malo is the setting of Marie de France's poem "Laustic", an 11th-century love story.
Saint-Malo had a tradition of asserting its autonomy in dealings with the French authorities
and even with the local Breton authorities.
From 1590–1593, Saint-Malo declared itself to be an independent republic, taking the motto
"not French, not Breton, but Malouins".
Saint-Malo became notorious as the home of the corsairs, French privateers and sometimes pirates. In the 19th century this "piratical" notoriety was portrayed in Jean Richepin's play Le flibustier and in César Cui's eponymous opera. The corsairs of Saint-Malo not only forced English ships passing up the Channel to pay tribute, but also brought wealth from further afield.
Jacques Cartier, who sailed the Saint Lawrence River and visited the sites of Quebec City and Montreal – and is thus credited as the discoverer of Canada, lived in and sailed from Saint-Malo, as did the first colonists to settle the Falklands – hence the islands' French name Îles Malouines, which gave rise to the Spanish name Islas Malvinas.
Saint-Malo was the birthplace of:
- Jacques Cartier (1491–1557), explorer of Canada
- Philippe Cattiau (1892–1962), Olympic medalist in fencing
- Jacques Gouin de Beauchene (1652–1730), explorer of the Falkland Islands
- René Duguay-Trouin (1673–1736) French corsair and Admiral who captured the city of Rio de Janeiro in 1711
- Pierre Louis Moreau de Maupertuis (1698–1759), mathematician and astronomer
- Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais (1699–1753), sailor and administrator
- Joseph Quesnel (1746-1809), Canadian poet, composer and playwright
- François-René de Chateaubriand (1768–1848), writer and diplomat
- Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne (1724–1772), explorer
- Julien Offray de La Mettrie (1709–1751), physician and philosopher
- Robert Surcouf (1773–1827), sailor, trader, ship-owner and corsair
- Hughes Felicité Robert de Lamennais (1782–1854), priest, philosophical and political writer
- Louis Duchesne (1843–1922), historian, French academician
- Alfred Blunt (1879-1957), Anglican Bishop of Bradford, England, was born at St Malo of British expatriate parents and brought up there until the family returned to England in 1887.
- Colin Clive (1900–1937), actor
- Louis de Grandpré (1761-1846) French Navy officer and slave trader
Sites of interest include:
- The Aquarium Intra Muros where you can see many tropical fish.
- The Fort National: Built by Vauban in 1689, this stronghold assured the protection of the city for many years and offers exceptional view of the ramparts.
- The Labyrinthe du Corsaire: A magnificent maze.
- The Fort du Petit Bé: Situated just off of the coast this island fort can be accessed by boat or at low tide.
- The Musee D'Histoire de la Ville: Discover the history of Saint-Malo and its people.
- Saint-Vincent Cathedral: The original church, built in the 9th century, was burnt down during the attack by the Franks. Rebuilt by the archbishop Jean de Châtillon in the 12th century it became a cathedral in 1146. Built over nearly seven centuries it was finished in 1987 when the spire in the shape of a granite arrow, inspired from a 19th century model, was completed.