Safe shelters in mistral weather, the bays of Hyères and Badine have welcomed numerous ships throughout history. In the 12th century, Saint-Louis stopped there on his return from a crusade with sixty ships, transforming the place into a meeting point for pilgrims from the Holy Land. From 1524 to 1536, the armies of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V frequented them abundantly. In 1684, Louis XIV's large fleet left the harbors to fight Genoa, and in 1707 the 102 ships of the Anglo-Dutch fleet joined together there. Finally, in 1793, the bay of Hyères was occupied by the English during the siege of Toulon before concentrating the 600 ships of the French army that invaded Algeria in May 1830.