Description
Fortified port city in Brittany, famous for its privateering tradition and its participation in long-distance maritime trade, including exploration, Newfoundland fishing, and the slave trade.
Year of Foundation or Oldest Source
Origins in a monastic settlement in the 6th century, became a fortified city and port in the Middle Ages.
Country (State or Region)
France
Location
Saint-Malo, Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany, on the coast of the English Channel.
Structuring
Historic port located within walls ("Intra-Muros"), with basins protected by locks to compensate for the region's large tides.
Notes
Birthplace of famous explorers (like Jacques Cartier) and privateers (like Duguay-Trouin and Surcouf) who operated against English and Dutch ships. Actively participated in cod fishing in Newfoundland. Was one of the French ports involved in the slave trade, with 218 expeditions recorded.
Sources
WIKIPEDIA. Traite négrière à Nantes. [s.d.].
