Flotte du Ponant

Main bases of the Ponant fleet were Brest, since 1631, and Rochefort, 1666, while the Levant fleet operated mainly from Toulon.

The names of the two fleets are first expressed in the departmental assignments of the Secretaries of State in 1626, when Cardinal Richelieu Grand Master of shipping ( Grand Maître de la Navigation ) has been appointed. The two fleets were united in 1642, but already in 1661 separated again. The following year, both were placed under the control of Jean -Baptiste Colbert, who had become in 1661 superintendent of finance, trade, transport, marine and the colonies, and in 1669 the first Secretary of the Navy ( Secrétaire d' État à la marine ) has been appointed. From this point on the entire French Navy was always under the command of the Secretary of State or Minister of the Navy from 1791.

The Musée National de la Marine in Rochefort contains a number of paintings on the history of the fleet du Ponant.