Last modified: 2024-03-16 by olivier touzeau
Keywords: charente-maritime | bree-les-bains (la) | oleron | mill |
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![[Flag]](../images/f/fr-17-bb.gif)
Flag of La Brée-les-Bains - Image by Olivier Touzeau, 7 March 2022
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La Brée-les-Bains (688 inhabitants in 2021; 787 ha) is a commune in the department of Charente-Maritime, on the island of Oléron. In 1953, the village of La Brée became the commune of La Brée-les-Bains, by detachment from Saint-Georges-d'Oléron.
Olivier Touzeau, 7 March 2022
La Brée was originally located between two lagoons. It was the site of the legendary wreck of St. Eutropius, founder of the diocese of Saintes in the 4th century, and of the "jeun Henri" loaded with gold by immigrants coming back from America in 1820. Salterns soon filled the two lagoons, producing salt that was exported to northern countries via a custom post.
La Brée was portrayed by the famous writer Pierre Loti, from Rochefort, in his novel Roman d'un enfant".
The fish farm of Le Douhet, established in 1980 in the marshes at the entrance of the Port of Le Douhet, is among Europa's main producers of juvenile fish, especially of sea bream.
The La Fontaine mill, presented in a map dated 1686 as Labray, was probably named probably for "bry", the local clay used in pottery and to coat the salterns. One of the oldest ones on "100 Mills' Island", it is the last one to have keep its inner machinery. With walls of 1 m in width and a roof made of chestnut tile, it was operated until 1920. Acquired in 2012 by the Communauté de communes de l'Île d'Oléron and the municipality of La Brée-sur-Mer, the mill is now operated by a professional miller (source: tourist office).
Ivan Sache , 11 March 2022
The flag of La Brée-les-Bains is white with the arms.
The arms of La Brée-les-Bains are blazoned:
Gules a mill of three floors Argent, a terrace in base Azure charged with a bunch of grapes stalked and leaved Or, a narrow chief lozengy Azure and Or of five.
The flag can be seen in Saint-Pierre-d'Oléron in front of the intermunicipal sports equipment "Complexe sportif de l'Oumière".
On the current version, the name is under the coat of arms in Arial (photo, 2020).
Olivier Touzeau, 7 March 2022
The arms of La Brée-les-Bains are blazoned: Gules a mill of three floors Argent, a terrace in base Azure charged with a bunch of grapes stalked and leaved Or, a narrow chief lozengy Azure and Or of five.
Ivan Sache , 11 March 2022
![[Flag]](../images/f/fr-17-bb0.gif)
![[Flag]](../images/f/fr-17-bb1.gif)
Former flags of La Brée-les-Bains , left 2015, right 2018 - Images by Olivier Touzeau, 7 March 2022
The previous version had only the coat of arms (photo, 2018).
A former version (picture taken in August 2015 by Olivier Touzeau in situ) had the name of the commune above the arms in Brushscript font.
Olivier Touzeau, 7 March 2022