Loix () is a commune in the south-west of

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, located on the north coast of the

Île de Ré Île de Ré (; variously spelled Rhé or Rhéa; Poitevin dialect, Poitevin: ''ile de Rét''; , ) is an island off the Atlantic coast of France near La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, on the northern side of the Pertuis d'Antioche strait. Its high ...

, in the department of

Charente-Maritime Charente-Maritime (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Chérente-Marine''; ) is a Departments of France, department in the French Regions of France, region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, on the country's west coast. Named after the river Charente (river), Charen ...

(region

Nouvelle-Aquitaine Nouvelle-Aquitaine () is the largest Regions of France, administrative region in France by area, spanning the west and southwest of Metropolitan France. The region was created in 2014 by the merging of Aquitaine, Limousin, and Poitou-Charentes ...

Geography

* Loix is the smallest village and has the smallest port of the island of Ré, and is located in the middle of the salt marshes. It is a peninsula in the island, bordered by the Pier of Ars to the west and the pit of Loix to the east. Only a road, bordered by marshes (and salt marshes) gained over the sea by containment, connects Loix to the rest of the island. * Low shore, pebbles, bay and small beach in the shape of cove in the south east (pit of Loix). * At sea, a lighthouse : the Ilates.

Toponymy

The origin of the name of the commune seems rather vague. According to the historian Louis-Étienne Arcère, "A decree of

Charles V Charles V may refer to: Kings and Emperors * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise Others * Charles V, Duke ...

of the year 1372, gives to the Island the name of Loys" It may be noted, however, that in relation to the ancient island on which the locality is located, it bore the names of ''Loye'' (1684 and 1757) and ''Oye'' (1675).

History

In 1627, English forces led by the

Duke of Buckingham Duke of Buckingham, referring to the market town of Buckingham, England, is an extinct title that has been created several times in the peerages of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. There were creations of double dukedoms of Bucki ...

besieged the island. On the 8th of November of that year, at the place called "Feneau", the English were caught in their retreat from the

Siege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré The siege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré, or siege of St. Martin's (French: ''siège de Saint-Martin-de-Ré''), was an attempt by English forces under George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham, to capture the French fortress-city of Saint-Martin-de-Ré, ...

. The French and English forces then fought the Battle of the Pont du Feneau, which ended the English invasion. Jean Caylar d'Anduze de Saint-Bonnet, called Toiras, along with the fleet of

Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown. ...

and Richelieu, repelled the forces of Buckingham, forcing him to abandon the siege and return to

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

Population

Its inhabitants are called ''Loidais'' and ''Loidaises'' in French.Le nom des habitants du 17 - Charente-Maritime
habitants.fr

References

External links