its lighthouse, its history and its prison for children

In the middle of the ocean, surrounded by windswept rocks, the Poulains lighthouse is one of the emblems of Belle-Île-en-Mer (Morbihan). It has been guiding navigators since 1868. Now automated, it was for a long time the home of the guardians of the sea. René, 78, was one of the last to live in the lighthouse with his whole family. To get there, you had to reckon with the tide. René spent 13 years there.

Bellilois have always scanned the horizon, because many enemies have tried to attack the island for its strategic position. To defend itself, the city could count on its citadel reinforced by Vauban, and forts built along the coast. Belle-Île-en-Mer is also its prison for children from 1880 to 1977, with its 400 children locked up at the same time, but not only… Its most illustrious visitor is also the pride of the island: a certain Claude Monet.