Come and admire the old Ars-en-Ré salt refinery
In the early 19th century, the salt trade expanded after the Napoleonic wars. Ile de Ré salt loses popularity because of its gray color. In 1818, Benjamin Dubois-Dufontaine built a refinery near the port to bleach salt, but went bankrupt. Pierre-Nicolas Beuvain took over the refinery in 1830, enlarging it and installing a new salt processing system. By 1861, the plant employed 20 people and produced 15,000 tons of salt a year. The salt is washed, processed and dried before being bagged. A railroad was installed in 1876 to transport the salt to the refinery.
In 1914, activity ceased for lack of coal and the boilers were damaged. The washhouse continued to operate until 1925, when it was abandoned. In 1974, it was bought by the mayor of Ars-en-Ré, Émile GAUDIN, who transformed it into a covered market. The refinery chimney was demolished in 1977 after having served as a bitter for almost 150 years.
In 1914, activity ceased for lack of coal and the boilers were damaged. The washhouse continued to operate until 1925, when it was abandoned. In 1974, it was bought by the mayor of Ars-en-Ré, Émile GAUDIN, who transformed it into a covered market. The refinery chimney was demolished in 1977 after having served as a bitter for almost 150 years.
