In 1555, financed by King Henri II

In 1555, financed by King Henri II, Nicolas Durand de Villegagnon established Fort Coligny, an important military base in the Americas and a refuge for persecuted Protestants in France, on one of the islands in Guanabara Bay. Although its existence was short - the Portuguese took the fortress in 1560 and expelled all the French in 1567 - the Colony France Antártica left its mark in history. To this day, the Island of Villegagnon is administered by the Navy.
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