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Royan is a small town and commune of the Charente-Maritime département, in Western France.
Its economy is dominated by tourism. Four sandy coves adorn the coast.
Geography
Royan is on the Atlantic coast, near the mouth of the Gironde Estuary. Three islands are nearby: Île de Ré, Île d'Oléron and Île-d'Aix.
History
Royan's history as a resort dates from the later 19th century. From the 1890s to the Second World War it was both fashionable and popular, especially after the introduction of holidays with pay in France, in 1935.
During the Second World War, two German fortresses defended the Gironde Estuary: Gironde Mündung Nord (or Royan) and Gironde Mündung Süd (or La Pointe de Grave). The Allied operation, which was directed against the German forces on Île d'Oléron and at the mouth of the Gironde River, began with a general naval bombardment at 0750 on 15 April 1945, some 10 months after D-Day. For five days the US naval task force assisted the French ground forces with naval bombardment and aerial reconnaissance in the assault on Royan and the Pointe de Grave area at the mouth of the Gironde. American B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator aircraft carried out aerial bombing missions. During this heavy bombardment by Allied forces, the centre of the town was almost entirely destroyed.
Royan today
The town was rebuilt in the 1950s, as part of an urbanisation proramme and is very representative of the modernist architecture of the time.
A bourgeois town, known also for its casinos and hotels, Royan is a very sunny city all-year-round.
Miscellaneous
Royan was the birthplace of:
- Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Monts, (c.1558-1628), merchant, explorer and colonizer
- Eugène Pelletan (1813-1884), writer, journalist and politician
External link
"Royan"