We visited the City on the 14 April 2014 and spent the whole day exploring the city, harbour, walls, beaches and islands.
To the right of the cannon can be seen the island of Grand Be which is the final resting place of the French politician and writer Chateaubriand. On his own instructions he was buried here in 1848 under a simple cross facing out to sea.
Grande Be is the closest of a number of Island to the City. It was first fortified in 1555 in the form of a small redoubt which was was later expanded in 1652 into a curved stone clad battery with its guns facing out to sea. In 1689 the fortifications were improved again and the guns of the fort fired on the English Fleet that attacked the town in 1693 and 1695.
The fort was heavily fortified by the German Army during World War II and completely destroyed during the Battle of St.Malo in August 1944. We visited the island during our visit and apart from fragment of concrete sticking out of the ground nothing remains of any fortifications.
Photograph taken 14 April 2014.