This is an 1867 French Dépôt de la Marine nautical chart or maritime map of
Saint Martin Bay, Ile de Ré, France.
Depicting the north shore of the Ile de Ré from Loix to La Flotte in 21 panels, hundreds of depth soundings populate the bay.
Saint Martin appears at bottom center, with the city's fortifications illustrated in detail.
The Ile de Ré sits off the coast of France in the Bay of Biscay not far from La Rochelle.
The island changed hands several times between the English and French between 12th and 14th centuries. Ile de Ré commands coastal France from Nantes to Bordeaux, making it a prized possession, particularly during in the 17th century.
It was the center of a Huguenot revolt in 1625 and the English unsuccessfully laid siege to Saint-Martin-de-Ré in 1627.
Vauban fortified Saint Martin in 1681 and the city served as one of the depots through which convicts transited on their way to penal colonies in New Caledonia and French Guiana.
Alfred Dreyfus was one of the many prisoners to pass through Saint Martin.
The Nazis fortified the Ile de Ré during World War II, and some of the bunkers remain, which led to scenes from The Longest Day being filmed on the island's beaches.
Today, the Ile de Ré is popular as an elite vacation destination.
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