Saint-Malo, city in northwestern France, in the Ille-et-Vilaine Department, on the English Channel, at the mouth of the Rance River, in Brittany. A favorite tourist spot, the city is built on a rocky promontory and an adjacent islet. It is a commercial seaport and a fishing and manufacturing center; products include processed food, boats, and lace. Among the points of interest are the city rampart (12th-18th century); a large fortress (14th-17th century), now housing museums of Saint-Malo history and of international maritime history; and the Church of Saint Vincent (12th-17th century). A Welsh monk built a monastery here in the 6th century; and from 1144 to 1790 Saint Malo was an episcopal see. The birthplace of the navigator Jacques Cartier, the city was a prosperous seaport from the 16th to the 18th century. It was severely damaged during World War II (1939-1945). Population (1999) 50,675.
