This was a marsh iland that was reclaimed in the early 18C for traders who made their fortune in the ebony. The buildings are elegantly decorated with balconies and grotesque figures. This architectural ensemble sometimes seem to defy the laws of balance - the ground is somewhat soft around here! Today, the island is no longer and island - between 1926 and 1938, it was joined to the town when the arms of the Loire were filled in.