La Rochelle

la-ro-shel', a city of France, situated on the Bay of Biscay. Commercially it is a rival of Bordeaux and Nantes. The city has a fine harbor and enjoys an extensive trade in coal, salt, timber, grain, brandy, and wine. The fishmarket is one of the sights of France. Over 1,000 fishing boats, large and small, land their catch here. A fine town hall, a cathedral, and several old towers are of interest. The harbor is guarded by a strong fortress. La Rochelle was Huguenot headquarters. In 1628 Richelieu succeeded in taking the town; the siege is one of the most memorable in history. The besiegers gained their end only after they had built a huge mole across the harbor cutting the town off from the sea. The Huguenots were then starved into surrender. Population (1901), 31,318.