It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department. With 78, inhabitants in , La Rochelle is the most populated commune in the department and ranks fourth in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region after Bordeaux , the regional capital, Limoges and Poitiers. The city has a strong commercial tradition, having an active port from very early on in its history. The city traces its origins to the Gallo-Roman period , attested by the remains of important salt marshes and villas.
The Dukes of Aquitaine granted it a charter as a free port in With the opening of the English market following the second marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine in , the presence of the Knights Templar and the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem quickly made this small town the largest port on the Atlantic. To this day, the city still possesses a rich historical fabric, including the Saint-Nicholas tower , and an urban heritage.
The capital of Aunis , it has become the most important coastal city between the Loire and Gironde estuaries. La Rochelle's urban activities are many in number and strongly differentiated, being a city with port and industrial functions that are still important, but also including a predominantly administrative and tertiary sector that is reinforced by the university and a rapidly developing tourism industry. In the early 21st century, the city has consistently been ranked among France's most liveable cities.
The Romans subsequently occupied the area, where they developed salt production along the coast. Salt evaporation ponds dating from the same period have also been found. The name was first recorded in as Rupella , from a Latin diminutive meaning 'little rock'.
It was later known as Rocella and Roscella before the name took on its current form. Fifty years later Eleanor of Aquitaine upheld the communal charter promulgated by her father. Guillaume was assisted in his responsibilities by 24 municipal magistrates, and 75 nobles who had jurisdiction over the inhabitants. During the Plantagenet control of the city in , Henry II had the Vauclair castle built, remains of which are still visible in the Place de Verdun.
