Le patrimoine et la cote de Sainte Marie

1 - Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption church: mentioned in the archives as early as the 12th century, this church was part of the Sablonceaux abbey in the south of the Charente Maritime region. Fortified during the 100 Years' War, it was partly destroyed during the Wars of Religion and then rebuilt in the 17th century.

2 - The Port Notre-Dame chapel: Built in Sainte-Marie-de-Ré before the Reformation, the chapel fell into ruin in 1604 during the first Wars of Religion. In 1640, it reopened, was sold as national property and then destroyed after Philippe Bernard bought the land. He built a room that served as the chapel known
known as the Notre-Dame chapel. The chapel was donated to the inhabitants of Sainte-Marie-de-Ré in 1815 and rebuilt. This is the one you can see
today.

3 - The miller's house: François Chevalier and Suzanne Quantin lived here and raised their children here in the early 19th century. The house has belonged to the Chevalier family since that time and to their descendants, including the man who donated the house to Sainte-Marie-de-Ré town hall. Only part of the miller's house remains. Millers' houses generally consisted of a dwelling and outbuildings (stables, wine storehouse, garden, depending on the miller's ancillary activities).

4 - A fish lock: (visible at low tide) is an ancestral fishing technique. It's a horseshoe-shaped dry stone wall that holds the fish when the tide goes out... There were more than 140 of these around the island in the 19th century, and today around fifteen remain, most of them in Sainte-Marie-de-Ré. To find out more, visit the Ancre Maritaise (Montamer beach).

5 - The bell tower: Of the medieval part, only the bell tower remains, typical of the 14th century. With a relatively massive base, it is topped by a Gothic-style spire. The spire was painted black and white in the mid-19th century and was used as a navigational beacon in the Pertuis d'Antioche.