Rochefort (French pronunciation: [ʁɔʃfɔʁ] ⓘ; Occitan: Ròchafòrt), unofficially Rochefort-sur-Mer (French pronunciation: [ʁɔʃfɔʁ syʁ mɛʁ]; Occitan: Ròchafòrt de Mar) for disambiguation, is a city and commune in Southwestern France, a port on the Charente estuary.

In December 1665, Rochefort was chosen by Jean-Baptiste Colbert as a place of "refuge, defence and supply" for the French Navy.

Bagnes were then common fixtures in military harbors and naval bases, such as Toulon or Brest, because they provided free labor.

Rochefort is a notable example of 17th-century "ville nouvelle" or new town, which means its design and building resulted from a political decree.

The reason for building Rochefort was to a large extent that royal power could hardly depend on rebellious Protestant La Rochelle, which Cardinal Richelieu had to besiege a few decades earlier.