In 1780, the Marquis de La Fayette sailed on the Hermione - a frigate built in the Naval Dockyard of Rochefort a few months earlier - to help the American rebels in their fight for independence.
In 1997, a new adventure began in Rochefort. Work on building a replica of the Hermione had begun at the old maritime dockyard, on the same site as the original construction. The shipyard is open everyday, and is a great way to discover how craftsmen such as carpenters, blacksmiths, etc. worked in the 18th century.