Saint-Louis Bastion

You’ve now reached the Saint-Louis Bastion, named in honour of King Louis XIV. The houses lining the bastion are the only ones that survived the bombings of 1944, and they date back to 1727. In the centre stands the statue of René Duguay-Trouin, one of Saint-Malo’s most celebrated corsairs and admirals. Fearless and deeply respected by his crew, he rose rapidly through the ranks—starting out as a corsair at just 18, becoming captain of the King’s ships by 24, ennobled at 36, and reaching the rank of general officer in the French Navy at 42. By the age of 50, he was serving on the board of the Compagnie perpétuelle des Indes, which oversaw trade between France and its colonies. His most famous exploit remains the capture of Rio de Janeiro in 1711. For years, the French had hoped to intercept the fleet transporting precious metals from Brazil back to Lisbon. An earlier attempt in 1710 by Captain Duclerc ended in failure—he was killed, and his men taken prisoner. Determined to succeed and to retaliate against Portugal, then allied with England during the War of the Spanish Succession, Louis XIV sent Duguay-Trouin to Brazil. After narrowly avoiding English attacks, his assault on Rio was swift and decisive. He returned with a vast treasure and freed the 500 surviving prisoners from Duclerc’s expedition. If you’d like to pay your respects, his remains were brought back to Saint-Malo and laid to rest in Saint-Vincent Cathedral in 1973, marking the 300th anniversary of his birth.