In the 17th century, the natural protections closing the bay were eroded little by little in such way that the onslaught of the ocean reached the coastal Barre district. From 1707, several seawalls were built and yet the storms of 1749 and 1782 devastated a dozen of streets, 150 houses as well as the Ursulines Convent. So, from 1836, in a town that had become depopulated, the civil engineer Vionnois built another seawall in order to protect the Barre district. And, from 1864, the bay was completely closed by the construction of three protective dykes, which soon saw their development into the must-see promenade alongside the beach.
