Today’s episode with Elyse Rivin is all about Lafayette, the Hermione and the arsenal of Rochefort in the West of France.

The permanent home of the Hermione is in Rochefort, at the Arsenal de Rochefort 35 miles south of La Rochelle. There is also a lovely resort town on the Atlantic called Royan nearby.

The town of Rochefort is similar in style to La Rochelle, but it was built from scratch to be an arsenal town by Louis XIV. It soon became very important strategically.