Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Regulus caves, located in Meschers-sur-Gironde in Charente-Maritime, form a set of troglodytic dwellings in natural cavities. These caves, dug in limestone cliffs overlooking the Gironde estuary, have served as shelter since prehistoric times, then as refuge for the poor, Protestants during the Wars of Religion, and even as a suspected den for pirates like the famous "Cadet", accused of attracting ships to the reefs.

In the eighth century, the Saracens dug silos there to hide the salt of smuggling, thus avoiding the gabelle. In the 19th and 20th centuries, caves became private dwellings or guinguettes, some transformed into secondary residences by bourgeois families such as the Hennessy. Their name comes from the ship Le Regulus, scuttled in 1814 to avoid its capture by the English.

The cliffs, formed during the cenomanian period (Cretaceous), result from marine sedimentary deposits. Acquired by the municipality in the 1980s, the caves were opened to the public in 1986 under the name of "Gravettes du Regulus et des Fontaines". They remain an emblematic tourist site, mixing geological and human history.

In 2025, they will be used as a setting for a telefilm entitled Les Mystères des grottos du Regulus, enhancing their reputation. Managed by the commune, they offer visits and activities related to their rich past, from prehistoric men to smugglers, Protestants and 19th-century vacationers.

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