Searching for content on this website

… The tour de Tatihou was constructed in 1694 on the île de Tatihou (isle of Tatihou), at the same time as the … a contrasting stair turret with a height of 27 metres. The storeys were vaulted, equipped with cannon embrasures and … of the Manche, has been open to the public since 1992. The site is included on the World Heritage List as part of the …

… Joux line had disappeared; the Duke of Burgundy Philippe le Bon bought it in 1454. The castle was besieged in 1475 by … by the French in 1674 during the second conquest of Franche-Comté, the Château de Joux became French as of this time. … Bas-Larmont (renamed after fort du Malher) and the fort du Haut-Larmont are abandoned and not open to visitors. … …

… description A town of medieval origins, the Old Town (Vieille Ville) of Nancy had its first city fortifications built … urban wall of 1550. Only the porte Saint-Nicolas allowed communication between the two towns. The town-planning of … place Carrière and place Neuve today retrace the site of the rampart, which used to separate the two towns. A …

… 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 …

… in around 1684 in order to remedy a lack of water in Versailles. The Machine de Marly did not allow sufficient supply to … was one of the main obstacles on this route. To overcome it, it was decided to construct an aqueduct. The … of the valley. The penstocks were never laid, and the site was very rapidly used as a quarry for the local …

… centuries. Abandoned under the Merovingians, and with at least one urban wall since the 12th century, it was besieged … and the New castle. In 1681, Vauban remodelled this ancient site by improving the above installations and designed … The works were conducted by the engineer Ferry and completed in 1685. During this construction work, the …

… came into being in the 10th century, equipped with a castle since the 13th century, Sedan was integrated into French … received Sedan and the independent principality it had become under Henri II. The angles of the former castle … known as Palatinat on its north-west flank, and can be visited. A hotel occupies the barracks. Numerous activities, …

… History and description In the Alsace plain, on the left bank of the Rhine, where it meets the Ill and Bruche, … siege conducted by Louis XIV in person for Strasbourg to become French in 1681. After having captured the town, Vauban … the fortifications of Alsace, directed the construction on-site and applied the project of Vauban, which continued up …

… 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 …

… which overlooked the Durance, at the point where five valleys intersected. This small fort was replaced by a medieval … Louis XIV to modernise Briançon. These modernisations commenced with the construction of a first urban wall, … before the final demilitarisation of the fortified sites. Military cable cars were installed to connect the …

… La Rade History and description The isle of Aix had its first modern defences installed in 1672. A … from the rest of the isle by a front with a tenaille, comprising two arrow-headed bastions and an inner fortified … projects set out by Vauban and Ferry. The interest in this site comes from the fact that it showcases the posterity of …

… Dunkerque (Dunkirk) History and description From a small fishing village in the 7th century … masonry urbanwall with twenty-eight towers. Having become a border town, Dunkirk kept its urban wall, said to be of Burgundy until 1640. Charles Quint later created an initial stronghold there in 1548. …

… Bergues History and description Medieval town, comprising two initial urban … fortifications, in the form of a urban wall and a castle (of the motte-and-bailey type). These walls would be …

… Redoubt of Sablanceaux History and description The first fortification along the beach of Sablanceaux, on the south-east flank of the Isle of Rhé, dates back to 1673, during the war of Holland. It … 1756, at the start of the Seven Years war. From 1846, the site was upgraded to keep pace with progress in artillery. …

… Palatine had to sell it in 1583 to the Duke of Lorraine Charles III. The town was razed during the Thirty Years War, to … were left standing in 1650. In 1661, Duke Charles IV was compelled to cede it to Louis XIV and to cardinal Mazarin, … remained the first minister of the king. In 1679, Vauban visited Phalsbourg in the company of Louvois, the war Minister …

… 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 …

… construction there. In the 1660s, the Knight of Clerville proposed the construction of an important port … there, but the project was abandoned. In 1679, Vauban visited Collioure and Port-Vendres. He set out a military port … came to nothing. The engineer Rousselot got no further than completing minor fortifications in 1693. Three redoubts …

… Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port History and description A town of medieval origin, … formed along the road to Saint James of Compostela. It received its first urban wall in the 14th century. A castle of the kings of Navarre was mentioned in 1189. This …

… Fort de Blamont History and description An agglomeration which … had its own fortifications from this date. The first castle was constructed on the hill overlooking the village and … to the urban wall of the town. The ramparts are still composed of high and thick walls, but Vauban believed …

… Fort Médoc History and description Fort Médoc is situated on the left bank of the Gironde. It was constructed as a complement to the citadel of Blaye to block access to …

… Redoubt of Martray History and description The first fortification on the site of Ars-en-Ré dates from 1627, under Louis XIII. The … in order to block access to the isthmus linking the îsle of Ars to the îsle of Rhé. It was formed of a square …

… initial project for Marsal in 1663. This project remained incomplete in 1679, at the time of his inspections. The porte de … of a bread-making oven, a military butchery and food stores. This complex was completed with twelve stables, …

… History and description Mont-Louis is one of the new towns, completely created by Vauban. Its creation dates from spring … the projects of Vauban. However, only the citadel and Ville Haute (upper town) were constructed, and not the Ville Basse …

… the strategic position of the town in relation to Basle. The engineer Tarade supervised the work. The construction was completed in 1680. A new town, in a pentagonal shape and … new town Sébastien le Prestre de Vauban, Jacques Tarade Haut-Rhin Current state All that is left are rare fragments …

… Fort de la Prée History and description The fort de la Prée was built from 1625 by D’Argencourt and Le Camus, engineers under Louis XIII. It is a square fort … relief map at a scaled of 1/600 constructed in 1704 and restored in 1771, is preserved at the musée des Invalides in …

… origin, Saint-Omer has been fortified since 900, when a castle and a market were installed around the collegial and … Netherlands Spanish, multiple other bastions and ravelins completed the defences. Certain projects remained unrealised … to protect the dykes. All the moats surrounding the site were flooded. fort, then entrenched camp with hydraulic …

… origin (Tullum), situated on a confluent of the Moselle and the Ingressin, Toul had its first fortifications … porte de France. However, the projects of Vauban remained incomplete. The decoration of the counterscarp only took place … relief map, on a scale of 1/600, constructed in 1861 and restored in 1966, is preserved at the musée des Plans Reliefs …