Bou-Ismail,  by its geographical location, situated between the shores of the Mediterranean and the shelf extends up the valley of the Mitidja, is dominated by a majestic mountain in the West (the Mount Chenoua peaked at 800 meters). Its mild and temperate climate during summer and winter, its springs and its green vegetation, were always a haven of peace, rich colours of the landscape for its visitors or travellers.

Bou-Ismail is a coastal town situated east of the Wilaya of Tipaza about 40 km from the capital and 45 km from the capital Algiers. Before the creation of the Wilaya of Tipaza, Bou-Ismail was successively attached to the wilaya of Algiers administrative until the first of the year 1975 and then to the Wilaya of Blida until 1984. Currently the town of Bou-Ismail has the status of a Daira which includes several towns on the outskirts of Ain Tagourait (Berard), Bou Haroun, Khemisti (Tefeshoun).

Bou-Ismail who had an agricultural and tourist, was known only for its front Wednesday Boulevard and its aquarium. Today, Bou-Ismail best known for its Maritime Institute of international repute still maintains its agricultural heritage but pledged during the last decade industrial development and manufacturing. Bou-Ismail has been transformed since the establishment of industrial zone south of the town on the road to Kolea. Several strategic economic activities are located in this vast and dynamic area in the processing of paper, iron and aluminum, that of the ceramics building, milling, chemicals and plastics.

The dominant area of this area is occupied by the giant emerging from the processing and production of paper in Algeria: Tonic. The company contributes enormously to the economic growth of Bou-Ismail in particular and the whole region in general. The fact remains that the producer of earthenware Festival also contributes to the socio-economic synergy.

Bou-Ismail  prides itself on the national level through its Children Hospital (CMCI) where open-heart surgical operations are performed successfully. It is a unique children hospital that exists in Algeria and Africa that treats the Ross disease.





History of the Town

Historically the village was inscribed in the logic of "continuous obstacle"  belt presented by Count Guyot, Director of Internal Affairs and Colonisation, in its plan dated 12 March 1842. Unfortunately the settlement of “Bou-Ismail" or "Castiglione" was not included in the list of villages to be created outlined in this founding text of the creation of the first villages in this third belt by Guyot.


On a search of documents and publications of the era, the village of Castiglione was mentioned in the book by Louis Piesse entitled "History and Description of Algeria" published in 1862 in Paris by Librairie de L. Hachette included the following excerpt:

 « Castiglione, located 10 Kilometres from Koléa, includes the two villages of Bou-Ismail and Téfeschoun created in 1848. Castiglione was formed as a centre on 11 February 1851, and annexed to the town of Kolea on 31 December 1856. Bou-Ismail, on the seashore, provided abundant water and fertile land, is in a prosperous situation. It was found in Bou-Ismail graves, medals, an amphora and serving as a Christian ossuary inscription dating back to the third century, but nothing that put the name of the Roman station on the site of which is this village. »

The municipality of Castiglione remained highly dependent on Koléa. In 1854, twenty four years after the conquest and six years after the first settlers arrived in Bou-Ismail, the village was fully pledged as a council.

The first settlers, as elsewhere in the Sahel of the 1850s cultivated fodder and grain. The vineyard was planted at the end of the century and almost completely eliminated the previous crops.

Castiglione public transport services began, as elsewhere by stagecoach services or corricolos. There were two routes served, one to Algiers, Blida to the other.

In 1903, the railway track to Castiglione was completed and put into operation from 1st April 1903 for the junction Mazafran-Castiglione with three daily return for passenger trains.

 The rail track has approached Castiglione to Algiers and allowed new activities to be developed, especially after 1945 such as market oriented vegetables cultivation and Sunday tourism. The fields were surrounded by hedges of reeds and served by many logging roads that shaped a dense orthogonal network. The vegetables were destined for the mainland (France) market, which required high quality vegetable products. Packing and shipping the vegetables products were provided by several companies specialised in packaging of vegetables such as Grenier, Farina, Coop. The final quality control was random at the quay of the port of Algiers where agents of the OFALAC (Office Action Algerian Economic and Tourism) choose a crate or a case at random for inspection. If the inspected crate was rejected, the entire batch was returned to the sender. The main crops exported were tomatoes, carrots and potatoes as they could be planted in the vineyards as intercropping. Due to the mild winters, rich groundwater and reducing transport time to Marseille or Paris, the market oriented crops were promoted in Castiglione, as elsewhere along the coast.

The railway transport from Algiers to Castiglione was in service for 32 years, from 1903 to 1935. It was managed by the steam trains of CFRA Company (Chemins de Fer sur Routes D’Algérie) which already operated tramways in Algiers. The CFRA built a single track line of 1.055 m gauge. On the 54 km of rail there were places that had double track equipped for crossings. The rail track followed the path of the current road RN 11 and was common to both terminals of Koléa and Castiglione. The rail track reached Koléa in 1900 and Castiglione later in 1903. The DUP (déclaration d’utilité publique) of the Algiers-Koléa network with junction to Castiglione was decreed on 16 January 1892.

The rail operation for Algiers- Koléa started on 4 December 1900 and 1 April 1903 for the junction Mazafran to Castiglione. The track common for both destinations until it crosses the Mazafran River on a metal bridge 77m long; it splits soon after. Then the track carries on along the route RN11 towards the final destination of Castiglione to reach the railway station located at the entrance of the village. It is likely that stagecoach service to Blida continued to operate until the advent of buses, but it has quickly disappearing to Algiers.

Between 1903 and 1914, the train competed and killed the previous mode of transportation by stagecoach.The simultaneous rise in road traffic by trucks and buses caused a lower demand of railway transportation resulting in its closure in 1935.

After the armistice of 1940, the rail tracks were salvaged and reused elsewhere, especially after the breakdown in relations with metropolis France following the American invasion of North Africa on 8 November 1942. These rail tracks were then used to help complete the railway network from Ouled Rahmoun (Constantine) to Tebessa and to Tunisia to support the additional weight of carrying ammunition, supplies and troops to the Tunisian front after the occupation of Tunisia by Nazis Germany in May 1943.

Then three bus/coach companies have provided services to Castiglione: The Company R. and A. Roques whose coaches did not travel beyond Castiglione and the Société des Messageries du Littoral et Transports Mory  whose coaches reached Ténes ..

Some dates:

1550:   Foundation of a fortified Koléa by the Dey Hassan Kheir-Eddine
1802:   Earthquake
1825:   Destructive earthquake in the region.
1831:   September 25: Berthezene camped near Koléa without entering the city.
1832:   Second passage of French troops under the command of Rovigo
1838:   March 29 Lamoriciere occupies Koléa
1851:   February 11, Castiglione was formed as a centre and attached to the council of Koléa.
1854:  Castiglione was established as an independent council
1865:   In May 1865 the Emperor Napoleon III visited the town of Koléa.
1867:   Cholera Epidemic
1867:   New earthquake.
1903:   April 1, 1903: Inauguration of the railway line linking Algiers to Castiglione by Zeralda.
1912:   fixing the definitive limits of the town of Castiglione.
1935:   Closure of the railway.
1939:   Dismantling and recovery of the rail track

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