Port-Louis, Morbihan

For other places of the same name, see Port Louis (disambiguation).

Port-Louis Porzh-Loeiz
Commune
Citadel of Port-Louis
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Port-Louis
Port-Louis Show map of France Port-Louis Show map of Brittany
Coordinates: 47°42′26″N3°21′07″W / 47.7072°N 3.3519°W / 47.7072; -3.3519
Country	France
Region	Brittany
Department	Morbihan
Arrondissement	Lorient
Canton	Hennebont
Intercommunality	Lorient Agglomération
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Daniel Martin [1]
Area 1	1.07 km2 (0.41 sq mi)
Population  (2022) [2]	2,689
• Density	2,500/km2 (6,500/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	56181 /56290
Elevation	0–14 m (0–46 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Port-Louis (French pronunciation: [pɔʁlwi] ^ⓘ ; Breton : Porzh-Loeiz) is a commune in the Morbihan department of Brittany in north-western France. ^[3]

History

At the beginning of the 17th century, merchants who were trading with India established warehouses in Port-Louis. They later built additional warehouses across the bay in 1628, at the location which became known as "L'Orient" (the Orient in French). In 1664, during the reign of King Louis XIV, the French East India Company was established at Port-Louis. The company established a shipyard at Lorient. The Company was not able to maintain itself financially, and it was abolished in 1769. In 1770, King Louis XVI issued an edict that required the Company to transfer to the state all its properties, in return for which the King agreed to pay all of the Company’s debts and obligations. The French government then took over the shipyards as a naval port and arsenal.

Citadel

Main article: Citadel of Port-Louis

The Citadel of Port-Louis, viewed from the water.

The Spanish engineer Cristóbal de Rojas built the Fuerte de Águila at the start of the Brittany Campaign in 1590 at what was then known as Port Blavet during the War of the Catholic League. At the time, the governor of Brittany, Philippe Emmanuel, Duke of Mercœur, a Catholic, was in revolt against the new Protestant king Henry IV, and the Spanish were invited to provide support to their coreligionists. Henry converted to Catholicism in 1593, and eventually defeated de Mercœur in 1598, gaining control of the fort. The fort was extended in 1616–1636, during the reign of King Louis XIII. In 1836 Louis Napoleon, who would later become the emperor Napoleon III, was a prisoner in the citadel. Later prisoners included 1836 Communards and members of the French Resistance, among others.

Today, the citadel houses four museums:

• Museum of the French East India Company (Musée de la Compagnie des Indes)
• Museum of Naval Weapons (Musée des Armes Navales)
• Museum of Port-Louis and the Citadel (Musée de Port-Louis et de la Citadelle)
• Museum of the Arsenal (Musée de l'Arsenal)

Citadel

Population

Inhabitants of Port-Louis are called in French Port-Louisiens.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1968	3,921	—
1975	3,715	−0.77%
1982	3,327	−1.56%
1990	2,986	−1.34%
1999	2,808	−0.68%
2007	2,992	+0.80%
2012	2,685	−2.14%
2017	2,618	−0.50%
Source: INSEE [4]

See also

• Communes of the Morbihan department

Citations

1. "Maires du Morbihan" (PDF). Préfecture du Morbihan. 7 July 2020.
2. "Populations de référence 2022" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 19 December 2024.
3. INSEE commune file
4. Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE

External links

• Official website (in French)
• Base Mérimée : Search for heritage in the commune , Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)
• Mayors of Morbihan Association (in French)