SAINT-MALO

seaport, Ille-et-Vilaine dpartement, Britanny rgion, northwestern France. It is situated on the English Channel, on the right bank of the estuary of the Rance River. The old walled city stands on a granite islet that is joined to the mainland by an ancient causeway and by an avenue bridging the inner harbour. Saint-Malo was named after Maclou, or Malo, a Welsh monk who fled to Brittany, making his headquarters on the island, in the 6th century and probably became the first bishop of Aleth (Saint-Servan). The island was not substantially inhabited until the 8th century, when the population of the surrounding district sought refuge there from the Normans. The bishopric was transferred to the island in 1144 and was abolished in 1790. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Saint-Malo derived prosperity from its navigators, traders, and privateers. The town was three-fourths destroyed during World War II, but it has been rebuilt. The port, which trades mainly with England and Scandinavia, has more than 2.5 miles (4 km) of quays. Cod fishing has lost its former importance, but Saint-Malo still has a small but efficient fleet of trawlers. The port has considerable accommodation for yachts and pleasure craft. There is a regular summer ferry service to the Channel Islands. The fortress at the northeast corner of the ramparts, built between the 14th and the 17th century, has four great round towers, one of which houses a museum devoted largely to famous mariners born in the city, including the 16th-century French navigator Jacques Cartier. The 12th- to 17th-century Church of Saint-Vincent, previously the cathedral, was damaged in World War II but has undergone restoration work. In 1967 Saint-Malo was merged with Saint-Servan, to the south, and the seaside suburb of Param, to the east. Fishing still plays a part in the local economy, but industry (especially printing and machinery) employs many more. Pop. (1990) 49,274.