Description
Port in Brittany founded in the 17th century specifically to be the main base of the French East India Company, center of trade with Asia.
Year of Foundation or Oldest Source
Founded in 1666 by the French East India Company.
Country (State or Region)
France
Location
Lorient, Morbihan, Brittany, at the mouth of the Blavet River.
Structuring
Port developed with naval shipyards (built the Company's ships), docks, large warehouses for Eastern goods (silks, spices, porcelain), and fortifications to protect the Company's facilities.
Notes
Exclusive center of the French monopoly on trade with India and China for much of the 18th century. The sale of Eastern products in Lorient attracted merchants from all over France, including those from Nantes, who acquired "indiennes" (printed fabrics) and cowries there to use as currency on the African coast. Although focused on the East, its activity was connected to the Atlantic trading system.
Sources
WIKIPEDIA. Traite négrière à Nantes. [s.d.].
