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Les Grottes du Régulus

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Régulus’s caves


Situées à 12 km de Royan, les grottes du Régulus, site troglodytique municipal, sont ouvertes au public de Pâques à la Toussaint. Surplombant l‘estuaire de la Gironde et creusés dans des falaises de calcaire, les « trous » de Meschers vous accueillent dans un écrin d’exception. A l’origine naturelles, les grottes de Meschers furent agrandies par l’homme pour devenir au XIXème siècle un habitat troglodytique. Le nom de Régulus vient d’un navire français qui, sous Napoléon, pris en chasse par les Anglais fut sabordé devant Meschers. Thèmes abordés pendant la visite : site refuge pour les protestants pendant les Guerres de Religion, géologie, estuaire, pêche, tourisme au XIXème siècle, carrelet sur ponton, histoire du Régulus, légende de Cadet le naufrageur et habitat troglodytique. Pendant la visite, les enfants peuvent aider la petite crevette Minidik qui se pose bien des questions sur les habitudes de ces drôles d’animaux à deux pattes qui vivent dans la falaise du Régulus.

Situated at 12 km of Royan, Regulus’s caves, public troglodytic site, are opened to the public from April until November. It is natural cliffs, which were widen by Man, and at the 19th Century, became troglodytic houses. Regulus’s name came from a French warship which, under Napoleon the first, that was trapped by the Englishs in front of the cliffs. The Frenchs chose to destroy this warship, to not let it fall in the hands of the Englishs. During the visit, differents thematics will be talked about, like the Protestantism during religious wars, geology, the estuary of Gironde, fishes, the fishing cabine which is called « Carrelet », Régulus's story, Cadet the shipwrecker’s legend and the troglodytics houses. Accueillant, dans un environnement exceptionnel, plus de 75 000 visiteurs par saison les grottes municipales des Fontaines et du Régulus are one of the unmissable actor of tourism in Charente Maritime.

Why Régulus's caves ?


We are in 1814. The Captain Jacques Mathieu RÉGNAULD, Régulus's master, a two bridges three masts, receive the order to control the mouth of the Gironde to prevent entry to the British. Accompanied by three brigs (the Malais, the Sans-Soucis and the Java), he goes do his mission. Anchored at the bay of Verdon, theses four vessels had to quickly face a British squadron made of ten vessels or so, who were coming to regain control of the mouth.

In front of the firepower of English fleet, frenchs had to take shelter in front of Meschers’s fort. The situation was desperate. Following the instructions he received from his hierarchy, the Captain Régnauld decide to scuttle his fleet instead of leaving it to the Englishs. During the night of 7 to 8 april 1814, the crews landed. The officers arranged at strategic places combustible materials and, in the middle of the night, set fire to the vessels.

Legend has it, the Régulus burned during 3 days and nigths. It’s been since this night of the 7 to 8 april 1814 that « michelaises » et « michelais » had the habit to call the group of caves using the name of Régulus.