| The Ile de Ré has always had strategic importance for the military. With La Rochelle and the continent nearby, it has always been used as a bridgehead by troops wanting to occupy the region of Aunis.
Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the island also suffered a lot during the numerous wars that opposed the armies of France and England.
In 1629, after La Rochelle had fallen to the hands of Richelieu, King Louis XIII ordered the fortifications of St Martin to be razed to the ground. Only did the Fort de la Prée remain intact. In fact, the King feared that the enemy might take and occupy the citadel, especially at a time when Rochefort and its new arsenal could represent a real interest and excite envy.  | However, it is for the same reason that, in 1655, plans for new fortifications were drawn up. Nothing happened and it was only in 1681 that Vauban’s fortifications, as we know them today, were built.
In order to maintain the population on the island and to foster the development of commerce with the rest of the region, the island was granted a no-bondage and free-zone status.
Commerce was very active and helped local ship-owners or merchants to build fortunes. Their main residences or holiday homes are still visible, nowadays, in Saint Martin or Ars en Ré. In 1830, the population of the island neared 18, 000
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The island in the 18th century
