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… Valenciennes History and description Situated on the confluent … of Valenciennes appeared during the Roman period, on a site previously occupied by the Gauls. The first … been well preserved and surrounded the original nucleus comprising the eglise Notre-Dame-du-Saint-Cordon, the eglise …

… New town of the Ancient Regime, founded on the site of a medieval castle, Rochefort came into existence from 1666. The first … Royal household, the seat of authority. The two other welcome the church and market hall. The architect Francis …

… Ambleteuse History and description The first modern … date back to 1544-1546. In 1685, Vauban chose this site to build a coastal defensive battery, which was … one first rampart flanked the tower. Work at the site was completed in 1690, during the war of the League of …

… Perpignan History and description Founded on a strategic site since Antiquity, Perpignan became the residence of the … fortifications were built in the form of a primitive Cellera, very rapidly replaced by an initial urban wall, of … also equipped with ravelins. This initial construction was completed in 1577 but others followed in the 16th and 17th …

… History and description A town of Gallo-Roman origin, Seyne-les-Alpes had its first fortifications built around 1220 … first wall with bastioned towers. Their construction was completed in 1692. Vauban did not visit Seyne but included … and enclosed one of the bastioned towers. In 1700, Vauban visited Seyne and thinks the citadel was poorly constructed …

… Château du Taureau History and description A site occupied since the Antiquity, Morlaix remained without … was in 1540. At the time, it consisted of an artillery tower, named the tour Française, and a battery, the … by engineers Garangeau and Frézier. The fort was only completed in 1745, at the start of the war of Succession of …

… the right bank of the Savoureuse, Belfort grew from a castle of the 11th century guarding the Belfort Gap, between the … into a citadel. This regularisation of the route was also accompanied by an expansion of the perimeter of the urban … enjoy protection as an historic monument. They can be visited freely, with or without a guide – contact the …

… the reign of Philippe Auguste, King of France. He used the site to construct a castle and reconstructed the ramparts, which were equipped with …

… Grenoble History and description Founded in Isère of a Gallo-Roman … was implemented to the south-east by the addition of two complete bastions, connected to the urban wall by two … the work was overseen by Francis de Créqui. Vauban visited Grenoble on two occasions: in 1692 and 1700. During …

… the siege of Brest by the English, one that Vauban had repelled. The site had already been marked out in 1685 and a project of … gate was included in this front. Within the ramparts, the complete set-up included barracks, a guardroom, food stores, …

… Agglomeration of Merovingian origin, Guise has had a castle since the 10th century. It was in 945 that the town … bastions of the castle included casemates and corridors for communications with musket firing loops. The construction … Louvois, the War Minister, disagreed and sent him on an on-site visit on 19 January, 1673. After this visit, Vauban …

… the name Collis Martis (following the presence of a temple dedicated to March), Colmars (or Colmars-les-Alpes) was … work on the two gates. The remainder of the urban wall was completed by the barbicans and machicolations. In 1692, … delegated the architect Niquet and engineer Richerand on site. Niquet restored the medieval urban wall and added five …

… History and description Situated in the Haut Vallespir, near the sources of the Tech, Prats-de-Mollo was … around the tour de la Guardia. In April 1670, Vauban visited Prats-de-Mollo. Deeming the destruction of the city … Louvois, the War Minister, persuaded Louis XIV against completing the project but the medieval defensive walls were …

… origin, the first urban wall in Blaye was built in the middle Ages, as well as a castle. These fortifications were … To do so, he continued the modernisation which Pagan had commenced: the medieval urban wall was totally restored and … stock houses were also constructed there. The construction site of the citadel, overseen by Ferry, was completed in …

… Mirepeysset History and description The site of Mirepeysset (or Mirepeďsset) is linked to the canal du Midi, just like that of Cammazes covered in the file of the same name. It is linked to one of the difficult … crossing the Cesse river, encased in a hollow of land in comparison to the level of water in the canal. When he …

… the town, which was finally taken by the protestant Lesdiguières in 1585 and ruined. Under the protestant … Embrun was taken and stricken. The following year, Vauban visited it and set out a memo for the defence of the city. … was intended to replace the first should Mont-Dauphin not come to fruition. The first project was only partially …

… for king Ferdinand of Aragon. It replaced a medieval castle taken by the French in 1496 and restored to Spain the … To enhance the defence, Lopez created an original fortress combining medieval and modern fortification. The castle was … the frontier. Transformed into a prison in 1682, Vauban visited it in 1685 and smoothed over the parapets in 1691, …

… 1164. The first modern constructions took shape under Charles Quint, who added four orillon bastions at the upper town … and constructed a barracks and a powder keg. In 1682, he recommended downgrading Bouchain, considering it of no use. … galleries, two rooms under the Timothée Trimm square, a site of the 19th century and the old moats of the …

… military intention. All that surrounded the town was a single urban wall of earth and wood. However, the Religious wars … constructions during the period from 1628 to 1640, the on-site management of which fell to the engineer Pierre de … would be channelled back to a part of Brouage, remained incomplete. Only the southern half of the town was able to …

… the Haute Meuse, Mézières gets its name from the first castle established under Charlemagne in 812 (Macerianae). This … by a new one which enclosed them. This urban wall was completed in around the 16th century. The 1500s years thus … de Rivières style and a battery were constructed on the site of Ayelles, some kilometres from the town, in 1877. …

… between 1000 and 1150. A tower was constructed on the isle (now gone) of la Sambre, as well as an initial urban wall … Included in the first line of the Pré Carré, Louis XIV visited Maubeuge twice and tasked Vauban with building the … frame of two medieval gates is preserved. The construction commenced in 1679 and was completed in 1685. The new urban …

… Lille History and description Coming into existence along a meandering stretch of the … was not finished until between 1672 and 1673. The choice of site was dictated by the topohydrography: the presence of …

… The west flank was protected in 1228, by a Philippian castle including a large detached tower. The urban wall was … channel to the sea. The urban wall was first adapted to accommodate artillery with the installation of new towers for … XIV. Vauban, however, was given the task of modifying the site from 1677. His constructions included modifications …

… A town of ancient origin, Nice has been fortified since at least the middle Ages. In the 14th century, the area of the … on the orders of Emmanuel-Philibert I of Savoy. A hornwork comprising two orillon bastions was built in front of the … county of Nice, ordered this construction in 1677. Vauban visited Nice for the first time in 1693, two years after it …

… Le Quesnoy History and description A town founded around … ever since it first came into being. The first urban wall comprised crenelated walls with a protected walkway and … ponds. The engineer Génédot, commissioned to come on-site, criticised it but did not offer any alternative …

… Amédée V and became the subject of numerous power struggles from 1305 to 1601, whereupon it was finally given to … its destruction during a siege in 1815. The July Monarchy completed the defensive installations with the construction … of a road tunnel under the fort saw all interest in the site as the location of a fort lost. fort Sébastien le …

… when canons set up there and skippers began to engage in commerce. A castle was added by the Lord of Avesnes between 1147 and 1170, … Included in the first line of the Pré Carré, Condé was visited by Vauban, who improved the town defences. Redoubts …

… Fort Pâté History and description The fort Pâté is a compact tower with an artillery platform, an example of this genre, installed on an isle in the middle of the …